News of break-ins, like the one that ended in the killing of an “American Idol” music supervisor and her husband by a man who police say shot them with their own gun, has spurred fear and begs the question: What should you do if you are about to come face-to-face with a burglar?
“For the most part, a burglar doesn’t want to encounter you as much as you don’t want to encounter him,” because burglars often don’t know the residents’ strength or if they have a weapon, said Steve Kaufer, president of Inter/Action Associates, a security consulting firm based in Palm Springs, California.
If residents hear someone has broken in at night, they should turn on lights and make noise, even using an air horn to shock trespassers, he said.
Similar to advice on what to do if there is an active shooter in a public setting, he said, residents should first try to run or hide, depending on what’s safest, and as a last resort, fight.
If someone in the home has a firearm, they should only take it out if they’re proficient in using it, because otherwise it could be used against them, said Zeke Unger, a Los Angeles-based protection specialist. He noted the July 14 break-in at the California home of “American Idol” music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas DeLuca, both 70, who police say were shot to death with their own gun.
If someone has to confront a burglar, Unger recommends they use bear spray, which is more potent than pepper spray.
Other household objects can also become weapons if necessary, he said. In an emergency, Unger said using a fire extinguisher would stop a burglar long enough to get help.
Residents might also use a vase, statue or other hard object depending on what is near if they need to fight back, Kaufer said.
“All you’re trying to do is buy time … buying time to arm yourself, buying time to call law enforcement, buying time to get your family to a safer spot,” Unger said.
And that should begin long before an intruder appears inside a house, with home security measures including:
- A home security system that residents should turn on at night and whenever they leave the home and/or
- Outside lighting and trimmed greenery that make it harder for intruders to hide
- Large fences, trees and other physical barriers around the home
- Cameras that alert residents whenever someone is on or near the property.
Unger also recommends residents make a disaster plan so that everyone in the home knows where to go in case of an emergency.
