Too close for comfort.

[SFM in KY]

Country living is no longer as quiet as you'd hope, even when you're a long way from a city. We're an hour or more away from a city of any size but we're seeing more home invasion type incidents all the time.

A couple/friends we've known for years, live on a farm just a couple of miles away, heard the dog barking a couple of nights ago. He went out to find a stranger trying to get into one of their trucks. The intruder knocked him down and started for his wife, who was outside by that time as well, with threats. The wife shot the intruder ... dog apparently bit him also ... and the husband managed to get up and shoot him as well. He was airlifted to the hospital. No charges will be filed against the couple according to the local police, or so we've heard. Not sure what charges have been or will be filed against the intruder.

[Brighton]

County folk have always been on the receiving end of crime, regardless of how far they live from the city, back in the early 80's my Grandfather caught two men trying to steal gas from our tank. Thankfully they weren't armed and for that matter neither was my Grandfather, saving him having to answer in court why he shot two people!

Funny, it is better now, with gas prices so high they can't afford to drive out as far as we are from town, so we don't worry as much.

[watcher]

Lesson learned? Your back up needs to be armed with something large. Around here the rule is I go out first with a handgun, because its easier to carry, and the wife follows up carrying the 12ga (both with cell phones). FYI, the shotgun is loaded with 2 rounds of #4 buckshot followed by 2 rounds of 00 buckshot and finally a slug. Its set up that way to allow it to be useful for all sizes of critters at various ranges.

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by Brighton

County folk have always been on the receiving end of crime, regardless of how far they live from the city, back in the early 80's my Grandfather caught two men trying to steal gas from our tank.

We didn't have much of a problem when I lived in MT ... too far from any town and over very bad roads that didn't actually go anywhere. People that were on better maintained country roads were at greater risk ... and those that ended up near the Interstates sometimes had significantly more problems.

Here in KY it's more a matter of being so heavily populated that even the so-called rural areas really aren't. I've been pushing to have some kind of audible alarm system put in in the one place on our entrance drive where everyone in a vehicle or on foot has to come through ... plus manual floodlights on the barn and shed between that driveway entrance and the house.

[no really]

We live on the Mexican border, grew up in the area. Things are pretty intense at times, situational awareness is imperative. It has gotten much worse in the last 10 years.

[Brighton]

Originally Posted by SFM in KY

We didn't have much of a problem when I lived in MT ... too far from any town and over very bad roads that didn't actually go anywhere. People that were on better maintained country roads were at greater risk ... and those that ended up near the Interstates sometimes had significantly more problems.

Here in KY it's more a matter of being so heavily populated that even the so-called rural areas really aren't. I've been pushing to have some kind of audible alarm system put in in the one place on our entrance drive where everyone in a vehicle or on foot has to come through ... plus manual floodlights on the barn and shed between that driveway entrance and the house.

At our farm in Illinois, which is the one I am talking about, we do have a driveway alarm, got it because of all the door to door salesmen, sometimes a bit sketchy if you know what I mean!! We also have alarms on the doors if someone goes in and out after it is set, mainly this was so my Grandmother would wake up if my Grandfather was sleep walking and tried to leave the house, which he did often toward the end.

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by no really

We live on the Mexican border, grew up in the area. Things are pretty intense at times, situational awareness is imperative. It has gotten much worse in the last 10 years.

That whole Mexican border area has gotten very bad, I know. My parents used to spend their winters in Phoenix, AZ and had relatives in that area and in southern NM as well. Some of them had a vacation home somewhere in Mexico and my parents used to go there to visit occasionally as well. From the stories then (80s) and now, it has changed completely, absolutely no longer a safe place to be.

[Miss Kay]

If more people were prepared to pop'em when they break in, there would be a lot less of it!

[BlueRose]

I hope they don't get sued by the intruder. That happened is a small town here in MO the shooters weren't charged with anything but the intruder sued and got $$$ for his pain and suffering. That is when I really quit believing in the justice system.

[NamasteMama]

Originally Posted by SFM in KY

That whole Mexican border area has gotten very bad, I know. My parents used to spend their winters in Phoenix, AZ and had relatives in that area and in southern NM as well. Some of them had a vacation home somewhere in Mexico and my parents used to go there to visit occasionally as well. From the stories then (80s) and now, it has changed completely, absolutely no longer a safe place to be.

Its no longer safe to be 100 miles from the border. We have a property 80 miles form the border and some neighbors had illegals break in tie em up and steal their truck. Another neighbor found 16 Chinese illegals in her barn!

[hippygirl]

Originally Posted by BlueRose

I hope they don't get sued by the intruder. That happened is a small town here in MO the shooters weren't charged with anything but the intruder sued and got $$$ for his pain and suffering. That is when I really quit believing in the justice system.

You know, after reading your comment, my first thought was "a DEAD man can't sue anybody!"...and that was almost immediately followed by "yeah, but his FAMILY can!".

What a mess!

[backwoods]

Originally Posted by NamasteMama

Its no longer safe to be 100 miles from the border. We have a property 80 miles form the border and some neighbors had illegals break in tie em up and steal their truck. Another neighbor found 16 Chinese illegals in her barn!

This is why it is ludicrous to even talk about amnesty until AFTER the border is secured. It could've as easily been muslim terrorists as Chinese, Mexican/Guatemalan illegals.

[Ozarks Tom]

We put 2 alarms (Dakota Murs Alert) on our drive. We only pay attention when the second on goes off. With just one we got complacent from false alarms, and some kids shot out the windows in the chicken coop at 2 am with a bb gun. Luckily, the game cam got their plate #.

[soulsurvivor]

We're just 5 miles from the biggest town in this county, but it's via a secondary state highway that is a paved cow path. There's no abundance of regular traffic on any normal given day. Still, we've had our share of crime against home/land owners out this way.

A few years back there was a crime ring that was arrested for stealing mail out of the mailboxes. Other organized crime involved Mexican illegals being dropped off up and down the highway by one car or open pickup and then coming back for them after they'd had time to cherry pick anything outside and not locked down they could drag to their pickup point.

I figure anyone acting out on the wrong side of the law around here are just stupid of where they are or they really do want to get caught. All of this county used to be known as the home of the Cornbread Mafia, illegal dealers of Mary Jane. This all happened back in the 70s onward, and there are people still serving time in the federal pen for their part in this. This is maybe the most policed county in the nation. Nothing and no one goes unnoticed.

There's also a for profit prison here with many employees that do a pack and carry both on and off hours. If you know about this county you don't go doing something stupid unless you're looking to get killed or locked up with the key being thrown away. I'm not saying the law is broken by any who uphold it, but they do take their jobs seriously. Organized gang crime is what I don't want to see and I'm glad it's taken seriously.

[deaconjim]

Originally Posted by watcher

Lesson learned? Your back up needs to be armed with something large. Around here the rule is I go out first with a handgun, because its easier to carry, and the wife follows up carrying the 12ga (both with cell phones). FYI, the shotgun is loaded with 2 rounds of #4 buckshot followed by 2 rounds of 00 buckshot and finally a slug. Its set up that way to allow it to be useful for all sizes of critters at various ranges.

All you really need is a Gun Free Zone sign at the end of your driveway, and a No Tresspassing sign as well. That should be enough to keep you safe.

[Pony]

Originally Posted by BlueRose

I hope they don't get sued by the intruder. That happened is a small town here in MO the shooters weren't charged with anything but the intruder sued and got $$$ for his pain and suffering. That is when I really quit believing in the justice system.

Which county? If you say "Howell," I totally believe it. Mini St L....

[NamasteMama]

Originally Posted by backwoods

This is why it is ludicrous to even talk about amnesty until AFTER the border is secured. It could've as easily been muslim terrorists as Chinese, Mexican/Guatemalan illegals.

It didn't work when Reagan did it why would they expect it to work now?

[BigHenTinyBrain]

Originally Posted by SFM in KY

That whole Mexican border area has gotten very bad, I know. My parents used to spend their winters in Phoenix, AZ and had relatives in that area and in southern NM as well. Some of them had a vacation home somewhere in Mexico and my parents used to go there to visit occasionally as well. From the stories then (80s) and now, it has changed completely, absolutely no longer a safe place to be.

That might explain why so many people are so desperate to immigrate, legally or illegally, to the U.S. Would you want to be trying to raise a family in peace and safety on the wrong side of that border?

[Pony]

Watcher's tag line brings up a very important fact: We live in a county where you'd better be prepared to do what needs to be done. LE is not minutes, but closer to an hour away at any given time.

Know your neighbors, be prepared, take care of things yourself. If you feel you must call the law after the dust settles, well, that's your choice.

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by Pony

We live in a county where you'd better be prepared to do what needs to be done. LE is not minutes, but closer to an hour away at any given time.

The ranch where I grew up was 90 miles away from the county seat where LE was based and 30 miles of that was gravel road.