Truth Squad - Crime -- Bad, and Getting Worse

This is for all those people who have said, "Yeah, I need to get that carry permit, but I just haven't gotten around to it." Now's the time. Put that item near the top of your New Year's resolutions.

Here's what I think. Crime will be getting worse. The current economic situation is causing reductions in police patrols and cutbacks on law enforcement agencies. Note that I don't say that people who have been laid off will start committing crimes. I don't think that's what happens. If you are prone to crime, that's what you do, irrespective of the economy. When there are fewer police around, though, criminals are emboldened, and they come out more - in the daylight as well as at night.

Simply put, you need to provide for your own protection. And please note that every adult in your house needs to know how to use the firearms in the house. There is no guarantee that the adult male will be the one defending the family. There have been many cases of home invasions, and it's getting worse. This often means multiple intruders. Do I need to explain why a five-shot revolver may not be the best choice for home defense?

Here's a quick, simple home safety plan. Put in more outside lighting. Put in deadbolt locks on all outside doors. Get the kind that requires a key from the inside as well as the outside. Do NOT, ever, open the door if you don't know who is there. Don't open it for delivery men, postal workers, or even police officers. If you can't see through a window of your front door, install a peephole - the kind found on hotel doors. Why not open the door for a police officer? How do you know who that really is? Many home invasions involve crooks dressed as cops. Tell him or her to wait while you call the local police and verify that he/she is legitimate. If it's a real cop, there's no problem.

Get a good quality flashlight. I like the smaller "tactical" kind, such as those from Surefire and Streamlight. They aren't cheap, but they are tough and reliable. Keep one on your nightstand.

Have a plan, and that plan probably should be to lock your bedroom door (you do have a good lock on that door, right?) and call the police. You may want to stash a house key somewhere outside. That way, you can tell the police dispatcher where it is, and the police can use it to enter the home rather than breaking down a door.

We have a lot of good information on personal protection at our all-video web site, www.guntalk.tv. Spend some time there to brush up.

You may want to get some of Clint Smith's great DVDs on self protection at www.thunderranchinc.com, or the instructional DVDs from Gunsite at www.gunsite.com.