One thing that should be on everyone’s mind is what happens if someone breaks into your home.  Do you hope that the scenes from the scary movie you watched last night will have given you enough knowledge on what to do?   Think about those movies…… they never even turn on the lights.  I don’t know about you, but I cannot see in the dark.  Also, is it really a good idea to walk around in the dark with a baseball bat?

I took a home invasion class and found out what I already knew; the people in the movies do it all wrong. You have no clue who is in your home or if it is one person or 10.  Also, do you know what room they are in?  What if you think they are in the kitchen, but on your way there you get hit over the head?  Logically, what is the safest thing to do? Hmmmm…..stay in a locked room with your family while you call the police.  Duh!

The Home Invasion class was so helpful. The 1st part was classroom discussion and the 2nd part was scenarios. There were only 6 students in the class, so it was not overwhelming. The instructor discussed having a plan, kind of like a fire drill.   Everyone’s plan will be different, because each household is different.  In my home there are 3 of us, my husband, stepsons (he is 24), and myself.  I also have 4 cats, but they will be hiding anyway.  The instructor also explained what to say and what NOT to say when you call  911.

Having a gun in the homes was also addressed. Each state has different rule regarding home protection with a firearm, so it is really good to know what your states policy is.  In Maryland, you cannot use a gun to protect “property”.  Guns may only be used to protect humans.  If the intruders do not leave your house before the police arrive, we learned what to tell the police it we had to use our firearms.  I had never thought about aftermath caused by a break in.

Just telling the police that you think you fired 4 times when you actually fired 5 times.  Now the police think that your statements will be unreliable. If they think you are unreliable, at you now the assault and not the victim.  Then there is the court cost.  How much does a great murder attorney cost? …………

Once all this knowledge was taken in, when went to the shoot house for the scenarios.  This was the fun part!  Some of the class members went by themselves and others went in pairs. We were given Simulation Guns to use for protection.  There was a room set up like an apartment and we sat in the room to wait.  Some of the participants just had friends knock on the door, others had people who were fleeing assailants beg for help, and some had armed robbers break down their door. One lady was killed because she did not shoot the invader.  That scenario really opened everyone’s eyes.

If there is a faculty near you that offers a Home Invasion course, I highly recommend it.