Totally Paranoid Question: Creative Security Solutions?

[arlean]

Anyone who thinks firearms in the hands of citizens increases crime is drinking the Kool Aid (propaganda). My home in Billings, Montana, where just about everybody is armed, is one of the safest places you could live. Even children there are taught how to handle firearms at a young age. I was doing target practice with a .45 when I was 12. By the standard of some of these people, with all those scary guns in Montana, it SHOULD be a dangerous place! The truth is that the crime capitol of the States a while back was Washington DC where firearms were illegal. I think that law has changed recently. I don't know if the statistics have or not.

The person who wrote that the police can't help you is right. My relative who went to work with the fire department as emergency medical technician went to many crime scenes. He sat me down to talk seriously and said, "The police do not protect you, get that through your head right now, that is a fallacy. The police are just there to make the report after it's all over. You have to protect yourself."

I was certified as an NRA instructor with three different certifications. I think every woman should own a firearm and be well-trained in protecting herself and her children. I suggest that husbands encourage their wives to become proficient. Many people fear guns because of the propaganda. But they get over that with familiarity. If you understand a firearm, can take it apart and reassemble it, know how to handle it safely and have learned to hit a target, there is no fear. Just buying a firearm and putting it on a shelf is false security in my opinion. For some reason I don't feel the need to carry a firearm here. I don't think my lifestyle requires it. But I've read right here on this forum some pretty bizarre ways criminals have gained access to some expats apartments. A friend told me lately about someone knocking and he didn't answer. He thinks the landlord's daughter sold his key. The door opened and five men entered as far as his hallway. Since he had heard the key he was ready at the end of the hall, pistol in hand. He said they nearly trampled each other getting out.

 

[arlean]

[SIZE=+1]In 1982, the Kennesaw City Council unanimously passed a law requiring heads of households to own at least one firearm with ammunition. [SIZE=+1]Then-councilman J.O. Stephenson said after the ordinance was passed, everyone "went crazy."[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]"People all over the country said there would be shootings in the street and violence in homes," he said. The fact is, the crime rate plunged [/SIZE][SIZE=+1]89 percent in the city, compared to the modest 10 percent drop statewide [/SIZE][SIZE=+1]and has stayed at the same low level for the past 16 years."[/SIZE]

I read an article on this once that showed that the crime rate in the neighboring town rose. Hmmmm . . . .
[/SIZE]

 

[MartyBA]

I believe, a worth investment would be to train yourself in counter surveillance and protective techniques Most of the life threatening danger comes from knuckleheads that prey at random. The training aims at getting situational awareness, classifying levels of threat
. Knowing who your neighbors are and teaming up with them is a good idea too.

 

[Parvati]

In any big Latin American city security will always be an issue. Of all the things you propose the video cameras have a deterrent effect and hiring a security system and company. BUT I know from first hand experience that, in many cases, the security guards -who know who you are, how much you have- are who set up the burglary. If you decide on hiring a company ask where they get their guards, how they train them, their employee rotation and pay. You'll see that in many cases the security guards are ill prepared to actually deter a robbery.
Young thugs are a problem, but not all thugs are young so the noise alarm is not convenient, in my opinion.
What we do is just keep a low profile, choose wisely who you hire and have in your home and do hide your stuff. Good luck.

 

[Iznogud]

I believe, a worth investment would be to train yourself in counter surveillance and protective techniques Most of the life threatening danger comes from knuckleheads that prey at random. The training aims at getting situational awareness, classifying levels of threat
. Knowing who your neighbors are and teaming up with them is a good idea too.

While I can not personally vouch for any of the local SD instructors (and I know a few) I do agree to the basic ideas in your statement.
Without moving straight away to the CS and PSD training, there are a bunch of useful steps that can be researched and taken prior to that.

For starters, here 's a little book.
http://www.lubrinco.com/7steps.pdf

On a more hands-on approach:

I do recommend taking one of those one day classes where they teach pressure points. They are eye openers, fun and will tell you quicky how rusty you are. Took one of those classes many years ago and it was kind of a wake up call.
We are socially conditioned not to fight at an early age. Knowing a pressure point or two can quickly help you avoid a worse type confrontation.

 

[BASailor]

A friend told me lately about someone knocking and he didn't answer. He thinks the landlord's daughter sold his key. The door opened and five men entered as far as his hallway. Since he had heard the key he was ready at the end of the hall, pistol in hand. He said they nearly trampled each other getting out.

Did he kill them? Please let you friend know that killing somebody here is a crime. He would go to prison, as well as (may be) the people who tried to break into his home.

 

[BASailor]

In any big Latin American city security will always be an issue. Of all the things you propose the video cameras have a deterrent effect and hiring a security system and company. BUT I know from first hand experience that, in many cases, the security guards -who know who you are, how much you have- are who set up the burglary. If you decide on hiring a company ask where they get their guards, how they train them, their employee rotation and pay. You'll see that in many cases the security guards are ill prepared to actually deter a robbery.
Young thugs are a problem, but not all thugs are young so the noise alarm is not convenient, in my opinion.
What we do is just keep a low profile, choose wisely who you hire and have in your home and do hide your stuff. Good luck.

Only Latin America? Oh I forgot that you can go to the movies in the US and feel really safe...
I agree about the security guards. I can't trust them at all.

 

[jade2108]

I have to ask, how you you will be here? I live here for 6 years now and I have to admit I am giving in to paranoia on the insecurity aspect. I am honestly thinking of leaving. And I agree, bullet proof vests will not be of help.

 

[ElQueso]

You know, as far as the places to live where I've had a long-term contract, I've never felt particularly at risk in my own plave. Of course, I've been aware and wary of what's going on, and there is always a slight paranoia that something that happens to other people will happen to me.

I've live here for 6 years.

I've never been robbed. On the street or in the apartment.

I've been swindled, in various minor ways, but that's a different story.

I lived in a closed neighborhood out in the sticks for a couple of years. We had perimeter breaches that weren't animals or wind or something at least once a month. But we had good security guards and just about every house had a dog. I know that often security guards are behind neighborhood break in - we heard about a lot of other neighborhoods that were being robbed where it seems the security guards were complicit. The guards rotated out roughly every week and didn't get a chance to know the people and houses real well.

We had a house alarm and someone was almost always home ("almost" being the word that lends to the paranoia). We really felt we had to fear the gangs that whip in and rob a neighborhood at gunpoint and then skedaddle down the highway for their getaway. But we were well off the highway, down a number of little roads through un-closed neighborhoods and it didn't make for a easy getaway.

In my current apartment building, we are one apartment to a floor, the elevator goes right into a little "entry closet" that is shut by a big, solid door leading into the apartment, and the door on the elevator is lockable so that no one can even get into the entry without force, and we keep that locked as well as the inner door.

We have a 24-hour portero. The encargado, who is also the early morning and late afternoon portero, has worked in the building since 1972. He planted the huge trees back then that grow around us now. His son is the day portero. He lives a little ways out, but still in Cap Fed (can't remember where). He also drives a cab.

The night portero is a younger guy who has worked in the building for 6 years. He's dependable, nice and is happy having a portero job. He'll probably be the encargado when the current guy retires, if his son doesn't take over (he doesn't seem like the type).

I know it's certainly possible that even in a setup like mine, there is a potential for problems.

But I think it's all about what your purpose here is. People with their eyes open but here for a short time often always feel a current of unease when they understand the possibilities. Temporary rentals are usually in buildings that are not so secure. There's often a lot of temporary apartments in bigger buildings. I hate the thought of a hallway with a number of other doors that includes mine, and the relative sheer number of possibilities for high-traffic buildings to let in criminals by mistake.

The problem is, you start feeling safer when you blend in with things a bit, get out of temporary apartments and understand what's relatively safe and what's not. Doesn't mean you let your guard down completely, but you have to find some time to relax.

That takes time. It is not easy to find long term accommodations here if you're not rich. It's expensive to rent and to furnish at a good standard. You have to either buy, or find someone willing to lend you their title to guarantee a lease, or be fortunate to find someone willing to rent without a guarantee (which usually costs). And to find a place like where I live, you have to be willing to spend a large part of your monthly budget on rent. Maybe to having furnishings that don't quite match your surrounds - what's more important?

You need to be cognizant of the kind of building that lends true security and not just a bunch of guards. You need to be aware of more or less who the porteros are going to be. You need to decide if you're ok with a building that doesn't have a portero and requires the front door locked at all times. Are you willing to deal with that kind of a limited egress in case of fires or other emergencies, for example?

You eventually figure out the system at all levels and live relatively comfortably.

However, I have been thinking about leaving, mostly for other reasons.

I'm not terribly impressed with the middle-level school system here. I think we can do as good or better in Paraguay (where my family is from). I'm tired of expensive electronic products, and don't see things getting better, and in fact, worse, in that area with the import restrictions.

Although, to be fair, I did go down and buy a Samsung 22" monitor for $1000 pesos, or $172 USD (I changed money last month for the last time at $5.80). Made in Argentina. Pretty decent monitor.

I bought a Blackberry 8520 in Ciudad del Este for $150 USD. They went for $200 in Asuncion. Here, they are going on Mercado Libre for somewhere around $1400 pesos or $307 official rate, $222 at more or less the blue rate.

Having dollars and converting them to pesos at the blue rate helps tremendously. I don't know how long that will last and how long it will continue to keep up with inflation.

And the cellphone is the exception, I think. McDonald's burger here for 48 pesos or $10.52 USD offical, $7.62 blue. Asuncion same thing for $4.67 USD.

But even those are not the main reason.

I feel the government here is going to get more oppressive. I don't trust them.

Paraguay has its own problems, as witnessed by the ousting of Lugo recently. However, that was the result of a president who had no backing from any party and was ousted by the same people who have been in power for decades. Nothing really changed overall. It's pretty stable and they leave business alone. A person could fit in there a lot easier in my opinion. If you have a little bit of money in the form of investments or work outside the country.

But as an example, we set up, in 30 minutes, an account for my father-in-law at Banco Familiar, that will allow me to wire money from the US to his account. No hassles. No days of getting together all his documents and making sure everything was perfect. 30 minutes and I was ready to send money to him internationally, no problem.

As I've already found out, it's also relatively easy to send money outside of the country, although if you are a resident corporation, there is income tax of 10% to consider...

I don't particularly want to move. On the balance, I like Argentina. I just don't want to get caught in a situation that involves an oppressive government screwing things up economically.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Did he kill them? Please let you friend know that killing somebody here is a crime. He would go to prison, as well as (may be) the people who tried to break into his home.

When somebody got into your home during night the law allows you to kill no questions ask.

During day or outside you have to evidence self defense. The requirements are: 1) no previous provocation 2) you have to be victim or an illegal attack 3) there should be a proportion on the force or violence you use (if someone wants to rob you just intimidating you because of his looks, then you cannot shoot him 9 times just in case) 4) imminent risk (if they already rob you and they are running, you cannot kill them by the back because then the risk is over).

So, in the case he mentioned, he was allowed to kill them without consequences.
Regards