We Keep Us Safe at Home

Practical advice for staying safe at home in the American Years of Lead.

This is the first part of a three part series regarding general safety and physical security.

Editor's Note: While we discuss some legal implications and the concept of Castle Doctrine in this piece, nothing in this article should be considered legal advice. Consult with an attorney for clarification on the specific statutes in your state or jurisdiction

 Earlier this month, a masked gunman murdered a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in their Brooklyn Park, Minnesota home. A second Democratic state legislator and his wife were seriously injured in another connected assassination attempt. These attempts occurred during a weekend of mass mobilization and mostly liberal protests against President Trump and his administration.

 While the political situation in the United States is rapidly heating up, we still encourage you not to panic.  There are some basic and relatively low key ways to make yourself more safe at home without descending into paranoia or spending thousands of dollars turning your house into a fortress.

 The gunman appeared at the homes of both lawmakers in a mask while disguised as a police officer. He was clearly seen on a security camera and there is no evidence (yet) of him attempting a forced entry into the home of either lawmaker. Several basic precautions could either have thwarted this attempt entirely or delayed entry long enough to call authorities or deploy a home defense firearm.

Security Cameras

 In particular, the gunman was clearly spotted on some sort of home security system. While home security cameras have previously been fairly expensive and required custom installation, modern WiFi-enabled systems can be installed in minutes by novice users. Door bell cameras, in particular, allow the user to identify someone knocking at the door before even approaching the entry way.

 There is virtually zero reason to open the door for an unsolicited visitor when you can simply speak to them through the doorbell camera app on your phone and even less so for law enforcement without a warrant. There have also been number of violent criminals using a ruse (such as a Door Dash delivery that was never ordered) to entice the victim to open their door to engage in a home invasion. These attacks can often be avoided by never opening your door for an unsolicited visitor. Additionally, in light of the Minnesota case, you should always consider calling either 911 or a non-emergency police number to verify if the cops at your front door are actually police. If they are actually cops and don't have a warrant, you have both fourth and fifth amendment protections to ask them to leave without ever opening your door.

 Door bell cameras will often be more effective with proper lighting installed. Motion lighting on a front porch or insisting, in writing while citing safety, that property management fix broken lights in an apartment hallway will make it easier to identify someone knocking on your door at night.

Hardening the Home

 Physically hardening the home is also an option with limitations based on whether you own or rent. Nightlocks are a popular device that bolts into the floor and into an exterior door making it exponentially harder to forcefully open.

 Hotel style door security locks are another option and possibly viable for homes with small children as they can be installed higher up along the door frame. While not as secure as a Nightlock, they will significantly delay an attacker's attempt to kick in your exterior door.

 Hardening the entryway while traveling or renting can be a little more challenging. The Veritas Traveller's DoorStop is one option that uses a large screw to hold in place a metal door stop. This screw doesn't leave a mark on interior carpet and the device can be employed before going to bed at night and being removed in the morning. Other devices, such as door jam devices or door security bars, will have varying degrees of success depending on the type of door and the flooring material present. Tile is especially challenging due to its tendency to crack when braced.

 Shatter resistant film, which holds glass together on an adhesive backer, will also significantly delay forceful entry. The primary goal of hardening the home isn't to necessarily make it into an impenetrable fortress but rather to buy time to call 911 and potentially employ a home defense firearm. Additionally, we must not harden our home in a way that will make it more difficult to exit during an emergency (such as a fire) or make it impossible for first responders (paramedics and firefighters) to enter the home during a medical event.

 Actively monitored security systems are less useful in this context against a home invasion than for preventing burglary while the home is unoccupied. They are also incredibly easy to trigger false alarms when armed while you are at home – that being said, modern systems are much easier to install and customize to your individual needs and can provide an additional layer of security especially if the system has a “panic button” style device that can request help without having to dial 911.

 While all of these devices and systems can make the home more difficult to breach, they provide little benefit if they are not actively employed. Above all else: exterior doors must be locked when the home is occupied.

Castle Doctrine

 The deployment of a self-defense firearm is not an option for every leftist for a multitude of reasons. However, if firearms ownership is part of your self-defense plan, then several considerations must be taken. First and foremost, safe storage is key. Your home defense plan should not include having unsecured firearms scattered or staged throughout the home.

 Castle Doctrine is a term that is misused repeatedly in firearms spaces. There is the often quoted advice (still repeated today) that, “if you shoot someone on your porch, you should drag them into your home and cite Castle Doctrine.” Modern forensics will certainly figure this out and ensure a multitude of criminal charges, including tampering with evidence, come your way if you listen to this gun store counter fuddery.

 The Socialist Rifle Association was founded to build left-wing gun culture in a generally reactionary country that hosts even more reactionary beliefs around firearms ownership. We absolutely reject the notion that it is either legal or moral to use deadly force on another human being for committing a non-violent property crime. While we disagree with large swathes of the statutes in the United States, the prevailing law of the land coincides with this belief: deadly force may only be used to protect human life from the threat of death or great bodily harm. There is a single exception in the entire USA, specifically in the state of Texas. Texas Penal Code 9.42 contains additional legal tests that must be met and using deadly force over mere property is still ill advised and fundamentally immoral (even if possibly legal) – even in Texas.

 While there is some granularity in each state's individual statutes, Castle Doctrine exists in some form in all 50 states in the USA and the principles are largely the same. First: the person occupying the home (who has a lawful right to be there) has the presumption of the fear of death or greatly bodily harm when another individual has used force to enter their premises unlawfully. Second: there is no duty to retreat further inside the home. You are not expected to leap from a second story window or to abandon your partner or children to the whims of a violent intruder in order to satisfy a vague legal test. Third: Castle Doctrine provides a rebuttable legal presumption. This means that your are legally presumed to have acted reasonably in employing deadly force against a person that forcefully entered the home but this presumption can be rebutted in court.

 For example, you are listening to your favorite podcast while vacuuming your apartment. The lock on your front door sticks; you've complained to the landlord but he still hasn't fixed it yet. Your elderly neighbor with early onset dementia accidentally enters your apartment – forcing the stuck door open in the process. While vacuuming, you look up and notice your 85 year old frail and unarmed neighbor standing motionless down the hallway and seemingly surprised to see you. You draw your handgun from your waistband and shoot four times center mass, killing him. When the police arrive, you cite Castle Doctrine and are taken into custody.

 While your neighbor, in this tragic but fictional example, technically used force to to enter your home the presumption that you were in fear of death or great bodily harm would most likely be rebutted in court by crime scene forensics. Castle Doctrine exists as a rebuttable presumption and not as a hunting license. Additionally, Castle Doctrine applies only within the home – it does not apply to the “curtilage” of the home. “Curtilage” is defined as the land or closely associated structures around the home. The front yard, porch, or unattached garage would be considered curtilage and thus not covered by Castle Doctrine. Castle Doctrine would only apply if an intruder is attempting to enter a legally occupied domicile with force.

Conclusion

 Ultimately, there are some small measures we can undertake to prevent ourselves from being targeted by either resource driven or politically motivated violence. These same small measures can also make us successful in defending against the same by buying us time. Remaining aware of our surroundings both in and outside of the home are critical to being prepared and these relatively small acts, such as avoiding scrolling social media in a public setting or installing a $15 security lock, can make us more safe.

 While a firearm can be part of a home defense plan, it isn't necessarily mandatory if there are other considerations such as a lack of training, a person living in the home with mental health issues, or lack of access to secure storage. We encourage the reader, if not already part of an organization, to consider joining one (such as the Socialist Rifle Association) that fosters firearms education in an inclusive and safe environment.