Home Invasion crimes appear to be on the rise in Oklahoma. Recently in the news, a Piedmont woman returns home. This young woman leaves her gun loaded in another room on a table while she takes a shower. While showering, she hears glass break in the rear of the house. What to do? Her weapon is on the table in the other room, so she grabs the only visible weapon (remember she is in the bathroom), a plunger. The victim in this case was able to fight off her two assailants, but suffered some injuries requiring hospitalization. It appears the assailants had been waiting for the woman to return home. Check out this video provided by Channel 9 News OKC.
The FBI 2011 preliminary UCR (Uniformed Crime Report) statistics show a decrease on violent crimes in Oklahoma. When reviewing the UCR report, you will notice, there is not a specific crime category for Home Invasion, therefore making it impossible to track home invasions as a separate crime. That is because law enforcement agencies report these crimes as robbery, burglary or aggravated assault.
The dictionary defines a home invasion as an act or instance of entering an occupied residence with the intent to commit a burglary or other crime.
Don’t be victim of a home invasion. Home invaders usually will case your house or will have been watching you for days. Always be aware of your surroundings, especially when approaching your home.
Home invaders will generally target women, the elderly, and the wealthy. The suspects look for money, jewelry, guns, electronics and drugs. Anything they may use or sell quickly to make money (in most cases to buy drugs). In most cases there will be more than one suspect involved in the home invasion.
ALWAYS BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AT ALL TIMEs, DON’T BECOME THE NEXT VICTIM.
It doesn’t matter where you live (in the city, suburbia, or the country). Lock your doors and windows at all times. Don’t open your door to a stranger, even if they’re requesting assistance or need to use your phone for help. Make sure to lock up, make sure your prescription drugs, money and jewelry are not visible.
One can never be reminded too often about locking doors and windows. I think drug money is behind most of these invasions. The depravity of a person addicted to drugs drives them to criminal activity to feed their habit.
ReplyDeleteAgreed and it's not getting any better.
DeleteHopefully it is a moot point with your audience, but it is rather obvious when you look closely at the accounts that home invaders like to target drug dealer - or at least people who because of flashy clothes, car, etc. they think may be drug dealers. The two main advantages are cash, and the strong possiblity that it will never be reported to the police.
ReplyDeleteBut that they are willing to take on armed drug dealers says a lot about how dangerous they can be. I don't think I would want to count on a plunger too often.