Nuclear bunker.
Depending on the state, this may be illegal. I know various states have laws against what color lights you can install on personal vehicles (Google “whackers”), and you might even be bordering on impersonating a police officer… Besides, having people think that a cop lives there might be detrimental for those wanting to “stick it to the man,” ranging anywhere from egging the house to getting a little more violent and using a certain NWA song for inspiration. I’ve heard about houses being targeted *because *people thought police officers lived there.
First of all, my suggestion of getting a Crown Vic was to be taken as a lead in to my comment about officers having their squad in the drive way. Second of all, if one were actually going to do that it would be to a vehicle that wasn’t going to be used on public road ways.
Your worries about some hippies that want to “stick it to the man” (yes I said hippies. You said 'stick it to the man", so there!:p) is pretty much unwarranted. Finding out where a cop lives is only slightly more difficult than where anyone else does. Neither I nor anyone else I know on the job has had many problems like you suggest. But it does beg the question if those who actually have squads parked at their home have had any problems. With only a few rare exceptions I never got to take a squad home.
The hippies are in their 60s. A man with a walker is not a real good thief.
Then a realistic depiction of a bat (the mammal) somewhere conspicuous on the premises should be useful…
I understand what many of you mean when you say that it’s not a good idea to advertise that you keep guns on the premises. I guess I was basing that off of the idea that the threat of violence from a gun-owning homeowner would be a strong deterrent. My grandfather used to collect guns; most of his collection was in a display case upstairs and most were antiques, not meant to be fired. His self-defense firearm was a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum. He had been a cop for a short time and he actually did have a window sticker that said “Never mind the dog - beware of owner!” with a graphic of a revolver pointed at the viewer. Though there were many break-ins on his street in Buffalo, NY, his home was never broken into. But on review, I note that he almost always owned a dog as well, usually something along the lines of a Doberman. So maybe that had as much or more to do with the relative security of his home.
Given that they are often willing to go after gun wielding thugs in gang wars, it doesn’t seem that likely. I notice in discussions like this there seems to be an implicit assumption that “courage is a virtue, therefore criminals have none”. Well, it doesn’t work like that; bad people can be courageous too.
Don’t live in the wrong house at the wrong time.
That’s the only difference between those who get invaded and those who don’t.
Yeah. They’re not necessarily cowardly as Skald was saying above. In fact I’ve always thought it takes some guts to break into someone’s house. You don’t know what could come running down the stairs at any moment. It might be a cop or just some real hard nut who happens to live there. Or maybe someone who has 10 of his mates staying that night.
Or take a mugger. There’s many reasons I wouldn’t go and mug a guy on the street (moral principles etc) but one of the reasons would be that the guy might beat me up - maybe he doesn’t look too tough but that means nothing, could be a boxer or something.
Whether “courage” is the right word, I dunno. Maybe crooks are more devil may care or too dim to realise the danger or maybe less concerned for their own welfare than we would be. But it certainly looks like courage - voluntarily going into a potentially dangerous situation.
There are plenty of words for it. “Courage” is not one of them. And I dare any slime ball home invader to show something that you could call ‘courage’.
So your solution to getting something I don’t like is to get TWO things I don’t like?
Brilliant! Maybe next time I’ll mix my oatmeal with green beans! 
Now that’s a deterrent! Hilarious. Thanks.
Why not ?
I came in to say this. Glad I am not the only dreamer.
Yes, yes. Very noble, and all that.
In the meantime, short of a massive wealth redistribution scheme, what practical measures might one take to prevent home invasions?
And I also agree that it’s not wise to “broadcast” the information that youy have firearms in a home.
IIRC, most firearm thefts are committed by someone aquainted with the homeowner, not some random burglar breaking in to take whatever they can get (TV, stereo, DVD player, jewelry, etc.). I’ll try to find the cite for that, but it’s been some time since I’ve seen it on some police or government website.
You might be able to get by with a recording of a dog. Shouldn’t be too hard to find a recording of a big, nasty beast…say a Doberman…in full “frothing at the mouth out for blood” mode. Play it nice and loud at the first sign of trouble. Sure you might piss the neighbors off, but I’d think that would do the trick.
If I was going to break into a house, I’d figure that seeing the dog would be too late. If I hear it, or see any indication that a dog is around, I’d turn around and find another house. Honestly, I’d prefer to deal with the average homeowner with a pistol as opposed to a frakking Rottie.
'Course, I’m neither a security expert nor a criminal, so I might be totally wrong here.
You want to attribute the word courage to thieving scum? Have at it.
My lord, but I like the way you think.
If you have a jib, I bet I’d like its cut.
Well that’s just the point. What makes it not courage?
What a great idea for an alarm system! A few “Warning: Guard Dog on premises!” signs, a motion sensor that gives off a few loud barks for activity within a few feet of your house and louder out for blood beast barks if it detects actual entry - along with the usual call to police etc. Probably more reliable a deterrent than my two dogs (a whippet and a greyhound) who might love an intruder to death! (And don’t bark much either.)