What do you guys use to protect your loved ones

[Frankencelery]

I live in the kind of location where a someone could cut open my garage with a sawzall if nobody was home, and there's nobody close enough to investigate. Ok, not very likely, but the point is they could make any amount of noise and nobody would notice. We love our seclusion, but it's got some drawbacks. Besides locking my garage, I don't do anything special, and I've always worried that I could lose my trikes pretty easily.

I love the idea of using technology- super loud alarms or even cameras, but I pop in and out of my garage on a regular basis on any given day. You have to be disciplined to use systems like that, because you have to disarm every time you go in, and then re-arm again when you leave. I'd set the damn thing off myself and like HuffleVA said, it would be out in the yard with me kicking it like the fax machine in Office Space.

The best thing I've heard is people running a chain through all their trikes. I don't know if you'd even have to chain them to anything. I usually have 4 or 5 in the garage at any given time, and if you chained them together, they're effectively impossible to move around. How big of a chain do you need to foil the average bolt cutter?

[just ben]

kryptonite. locks, not green rocks. a good disc lock also they have a chain and floor anchors that are tough to cut unless they bring torches with them. even if they get into you garage ect. they wont be going anywhere fast

[atc007]

.357 Sig and a Sig .380 for the wife along with a killer Shih Tzu and stealth Lhasa Apso to keep the thiefs occupied long enough to aim...

We had an alarm once and I accidentally set it off one night when I got home from work... my wife hopped in the truck and ran to the store and I tripped the alarm we just moved to Virginia and I apparently didn't look like I belonged in the neighborhood and my wallet was in the truck... so I ended up face down on the front porch with a foot on my head and the kids screaming until my wife got back from the store. after the cops left I ripped the damn thing off the wall and threw it in the front yard (which set it off again)... cops returned "less than impressed" and after paying a lawyer to explain to a judge that I was verbally abusing the alarm and not the officers we made a conscious decision to never have one again...

LMAO,,,but I realize you WEREN"T !!

[tri again]

I just tried out my 80$ tasco 5 megapixel trail cam last night.

I was waiting for an sd card since they don't tell you it won't work without one.

Anyway, I set it to one pic every 10 seconds and low resolution
of 2.5 MP

Dead dark outside and it caught me out by the truck about 30 feet away and I could read my license plate.

a 256 meg sd card which are worth about a dollar these days will hold around
500 pictures at low res.

The 'flash' is infrared so you can't see the 'flash' but you can see the led's
glow faintly.

It will take up to a 16 GIG sd card so what's that, a million pictures?

and you can set it to one or 3 pics every 10 seconds up to one or 3 every hour.

They say the batteries can last for months but I've only had it for a day.

I guess it also can record 15 second video too.

So to get the pics, you can either press setup and up and see how many pix were taken, pull out the sd card and use an sd reader, like at a store that prints pix, or hook the whole thing to your computer with a usb cord and look / save them.

I saw one with a build in screen but the price was really high.
Guessing if nothing bad happens, you can just leave it 'out there' until you need to see who's been snooping around.

I'll keep fooling with it and report back.

[thestud25]

I have a 75lb Pit Bull and a loaded 30/30 by my night stand. My trikes are locked away in my attached garage.

[thestud25]

I just tried out my 80$ tasco 5 megapixel trail cam last night.

I was waiting for an sd card since they don't tell you it won't work without one.

Anyway, I set it to one pic every 10 seconds and low resolution
of 2.5 MP

Dead dark outside and it caught me out by the truck about 30 feet away and I could read my license plate.

a 256 meg sd card which are worth about a dollar these days will hold around
500 pictures at low res.

The 'flash' is infrared so you can't see the 'flash' but you can see the led's
glow faintly.

It will take up to a 16 GIG sd card so what's that, a million pictures?

and you can set it to one or 3 pics every 10 seconds up to one or 3 every hour.

They say the batteries can last for months but I've only had it for a day.

I guess it also can record 15 second video too.

So to get the pics, you can either press setup and up and see how many pix were taken, pull out the sd card and use an sd reader, like at a store that prints pix, or hook the whole thing to your computer with a usb cord and look / save them.

I saw one with a build in screen but the price was really high.
Guessing if nothing bad happens, you can just leave it 'out there' until you need to see who's been snooping around.

I'll keep fooling with it and report back.

I would put a piece of black electrical tape over the LED.

[tri again]

What was that story not long ago, the kid was washing his trike in the front yard,
ran inside to get a drink and it was gone when he came back outside.

We had a neighbor cut, flip, tetter and bale 10 acres of hay.

After they loaded up, someone came thru and snagged a truck and trailer load of bales.
so they were watching them load and leave.
They just made it look like they belonged there.

I pity those poor sob's if they do it again this year.

He said he's got a paintball gun good to a fair distance and he freezes the
ammo just to make them 'fly straighter'.

I had someone try to get into my tool room when I was home.

Was out back mowing, so someone was watching ME out in the field while someone tried to get in.

We all know it's gonna get worse as the economy slides.

A little valium in a piece of meet got tossed to my neighbors dog so he got neutrailzed.

These guys just learn how to be better criminals when they DO go to jail.

[tri again]

I would put a piece of black electrical tape over the LED.

well that led glow is actually the infrared 'flash' to take night pix.
It's really not too obvious unless you're looking for it and directly AT it.

For all I know, they'll steal that too.

[Mr_RPM]

Its really a scary thing to think about, its hard to keep locked up around here because people in my family are always going in and out at all different times, this does mean someone is usually up and awake to listen but still. Im not to worried about anyone taking anything. We dont have much worth taking here. I live in a rural area but that does not mean much anymore. I sleep next to my 12 gauge but its illegal to defend yourself in Michigan these days. It would not be worth the hassle of shooting someone unless my life was in danger, id rather have them take my stuff then deal with the court crap of shooting someone. I wish Michigan was a Castle Doctrine state, that would be nice. People in states with the Castle Doctrine really can say there security system is their Gun, but im Michigan its not that easy.
other then locking up and preparing for the worse, we just pray it wont happen. My area is still pretty innocent to any major crime, but that wont last forever. for now its gonna be God and My gun. you can take my stuff, just not my family (trikes and jeeps are counted as family =P)

[Scootertrash]

Its really a scary thing to think about, its hard to keep locked up around here because people in my family are always going in and out at all different times, this does mean someone is usually up and awake to listen but still. Im not to worried about anyone taking anything. We dont have much worth taking here. I live in a rural area but that does not mean much anymore. I sleep next to my 12 gauge but its illegal to defend yourself in Michigan these days. It would not be worth the hassle of shooting someone unless my life was in danger, id rather have them take my stuff then deal with the court crap of shooting someone. I wish Michigan was a Castle Doctrine state, that would be nice. People in states with the Castle Doctrine really can say there security system is their Gun, but im Michigan its not that easy.
other then locking up and preparing for the worse, we just pray it wont happen. My area is still pretty innocent to any major crime, but that wont last forever. for now its gonna be God and My gun. you can take my stuff, just not my family (trikes and jeeps are counted as family =P)

It appears you a legally able to protect yourself in the state of Michigan if in your home:

Originally Posted by Itstjs
Some people I talk to about the "No duty to retreat" or "Stand your ground act" have said, it only applies to you in your home. Ive always interpreted it as if I am leaving some place, some dude or group of people tries to mug me, I do not have to retreat if I have the legal right to be there, and I am within rights to pull and shoot the suspects if I feel my life is in danger.
Now, they have [guys i work with] say that I have to retreat, or run from them if I have the ability, ie not cornered etc.

What is your guys take on the law? Am I right, or are my co workers?
This is a pretty good layman's explanation, applicable to Michigan Law:

Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners - Forum question MCRGO - Frequently Asked Questions about Michigan Gun Laws

Q: During my CPL class we were told of the requirement to retreat before using deadly force. Upon reading the deadly force laws I cannot find where it states you must retreat before using deadly force. Could you please point me to the law that states you must retreat.

A: The answer to this question depends on the date. Michigan's new "No Retreat" laws go into effect on October 1, 2006. Prior to this upcoming change, the law stated that generally, you have a duty to retreat before using deadly force. By law, a person must avoid using deadly force if he can safely do so. "Duty to retreat" means that you must attempt to physically escape or evade a confrontation. There were three exceptions to this rule; 1) if you are attacked suddenly and violently, 2) if you cannot retreat safely, 3) if you are in your home or its attached appurtenances.

The new law says you have no duty to retreat, before using deadly or non-deadly force, anywhere you have a legal right to be. Of course, you still may only use deadly force if you are in imminent danger of being killed, seriously injured or sexually assaulted. The new laws are 2006 PA 309 and 2006 PA 313.

Prior to this new legislation, the rules on using deadly force and the "duty to retreat" were case law (common law) based. The new statutes codifies much of the law but also states that except as specifically modified, the common law as it existed on October 1, 2006 remains unchanged.


Citations from Michigan State Legislature:

Documents:
Section 768.21c Use of deadly force by individual in own dwelling; "dwelling" defined.
Section 780.972 Use of deadly force by individual not engaged in commission of crime; conditions.
Section 780.973 Duty to retreat; effect of act on common law

Link to thread at usacarry.com:
http://www.usacarry.com/forums/michi...-question.html

[rray62]

If I experience unwanted guests, I guess I could always throw my hedgehog at them!!