Home Safety - 2

The next Home Safety topic is: Home Invasion.  This topic is a bit hard to research.  Why?  The authorities have not decided on a single definition of home invasion.  Plus the FBI nor any other police authority track/classify home invasion differently from similar crimes.  The media has been accused of labeling some incidents as home invasions when in fact they are more of home robbery.  The few facts we do have seem to point to the reduction of home invasions across the nation.  That is great news, but do not celebrate too prematurely.
 

My point of doing this article is to make you think and consider the safety of your family.  On that note, have you considered what you will do if armed individuals forced their way into your home?  Do you have items in your home which would make you more of target than your neighbor?  Do you have a means of protecting your family? 

Lets talk weapons in the home…  Are your weapons secure and out of the reach of curios little hands/minds?  If you need to get to the weapon, how quickly can you make that happen?  Have you taught your children where they should hide in the case of a break-in while the family is home or they are home alone?  Have you considered, in case invaders were after your child, how long would it take for you to get to her/him from any point in your home?  Do you KNOW the laws regarding how much force you can legally use to protect your family in your home?

I love the last question.  Most believe, my castle is my home so you invade I have the right to use deadly force to prevent you harming my family. That way of thinking is right and wrong at the same time.  You have to make a split second decision on how you will react to the invasion.  It is the District Attorney's decision of whether the amount of force you used was warranted.  Please read the following article by the website Georgia Packing (you can click the link to the left to go to the article):

Deadly Force

There are 3 code sections that govern when lethal or deadly force may lawfully be used.

Defense from a forcible felony; A person is justified in using threats or force to the degree they reasonably believe it is necessary to stop another person's imminent use of unlawful force. A person is justified in using deadly force which may harm or kill only if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury to himself or herself or a third person or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony (unless it is regarding defense of habitation, which has it's own requirements below). You are not justified if you were the aggressor or you are/were/on-the-way-to committing a felony. (The state has pre-empted local cities and counties from further restricting this defense.)(16-3-21)

Defense of habitation; (here habitation means dwelling, motor vehicle, or place of business) A person is justified in the use of force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm only if:

1. A person is breaking\has broken into your home in a violent and tumultuous manner, and you think that the intruder is going to assault you or someone else living there.
2. A person who is not a member of the family or household and who unlawfully and forcibly enters the residence and you know it is an unlawful entry.
3. The person using such force reasonably believes that the entry is made or attempted for the purpose of committing a felony therein and that such force is necessary to prevent the commission of the felony.

(16-3-23)

Defense of property other than habitation; Lethal force cannot be used to protect real property unless the person using such force reasonably believes that it is necessary to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.(16-3-24)

(Stand Your Ground/Shoot First/License To Murder - went into effect July 1st, 2006) If you have determined you need to use lethal force (as stated in one of the underlined "Defense" sections immediately above) you do not have to try to retreat before using that force. If your defense is valid, you are immune from criminal prosecution (unless it is illegal to carry that weapon where you used it) and civil liability actions.(16-3-23.1, 16-3-24.2, 51-11-9)

I found a great article on the website Home Invasion News (click the link to go to the article) which has some good information for your review.  I would not discuss most of this with your children unless you want to have a guest in your bed for the next two months.  This topic can be a bit scary for little ones to comprehend, so please be careful when and if you plan to discuss most of these issues with them.  Please do NOT consider this a bible on home invasion.  My intention is to start the discussion and make a PLAN!!! Plan to stay alive for your family.  Just like in project management, in order not to fail, you must plan.  If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail!

Continue to love your family as our SBBW family grows together!