Economic Crisis, Personal and Home Defense - Non Lethal

As the economic conditions worsen inside the United States expect crime rates such as physical assaults and theft to increase. Everyone should have some form of personal protection to deter a would-be assailant from harming you, your family or your property.

Major areas that need to be secured within your home would be emergency food storage and equipment, which will carry your family through the hardest of times once the economy finally collapses. Should anyone suspect or learn that you have a stash; it will become a prime target for looters and beggars. If it goes missing you and your family are out of luck. Initial steps that should be taken are insuring your family does not tell anyone you have emergency supplies, precious metals or additional food stashed away. If people find out it won't be too long until everyone knows it. That would be a very bad situation to be in.

Make sure when constructing your food storage you are able to lock everything up in a basement or secure room. If there are windows insure you install bars or some other form of physical barrier to stop or slow down a thief from taking off with your supplies in the event you're not home. Insure any doors are heavy-duty solid wood or steel with high quality lock sets or high quality padlocks installed. Let's look at what options you have available for personal and home defense measures that are non-lethal.

Non Lethal - Defense Options

Personal Protection

Personal protection can be anything from non deadly to deadly force. Which force you apply, would be determined by your abilities and the immediate threat you're confronted with. Non deadly force would include reasoning with someone getting their confidence and having them stop doing what they're doing. Then stepping it up the more your commands are resisted. To better your chances it's a very good idea to carry some form of personal protection that would render the thug incapacitated, yet not kill anyone.

1. Pepper Spray:

Also called by several other names including capsicum spray, mace, OC gas and OC spray. The active compound found in this is called Oleoresin Capsicum which causes severe burning, tearing, choking and gasping to the person on the receiving end. Its effects will last between 30-45 minutes. Enough time for you to either run or tie them up and call the police or some friends. The effective range is usually between 10-15 feet. Pepper spray is easy to use requiring no training or special instruction. Simply point towards the face of your assailant and squeeze the spray button (insuring you're within range and downwind). Pepper spray is also a very low-cost option to consider. Usually between $10 and $25.00 mostly depending on the amount of effective shots the spray can holds.

2. Stun Guns:

Also known as directed energy weapons or electro shock weapons. These types of weapons are designed to incapacitate an assailant harmlessly by administering an electro shock between 300,000 and 7 million volts for a half second up to three seconds. This will create intense pain and contract the muscles. Usually the person will become dazed and drop to the ground becoming disoriented. In the event the person still is standing, hit them again for a few seconds longer.

The higher the voltage output the better. Higher voltages will penetrate through heavy clothing and jackets or winter coats and still knock down the bad guy. The best places to place a stun guns electrode upon someone for maximum effect is at the upper hip areas, upper shoulder areas and below the rib cage. Stun guns are inexpensive and easy to use requiring no training however you need to be physically within arm's reach of the person you intend to stun.

3. Tasers:

Are also weapons that incapacitate people and do no permanent harm. Again they use an electrical discharge, which is delivered to the assailant through two small needle size darts connected to the gun with 2 small wires. The darts will penetrate through clothing into the skin and have barbs on them to prevent the assailant from pulling them out. When you press the button after the darts are deployed involuntary muscle control occurs, immediately through whats called "electro-muscular disruption or EMD technology. The assailant will experience stimulation of the sensory and motor nerves creating severe involuntary muscle contractions and sudden unavoidable incapacitation. This is unique in that it is not based on pain and positively cannot be overcome.

The maximum range for civilian models allowed by law is 15 feet. A small nitrogen canister supplies the pressure to discharge the two darts into the bad guy. Most of the people who have had the "miss pleasure" of being tased once, will comply with the commands of whoever is controlling the on/off button for fear of another paralyzing jolt. The cost of a taser is priced much higher than a stun gun and the dart/nitrogen cartridge is good for only one shot. Refill cartridges are available but are also expensive. Training might be a good idea however it is not 100% necessary. Training cartridges are also available.

4. Guard Dogs:

For home defense and guarding your loved ones, guard dogs are the most basic and time-tested way for patrolling, protecting and sounding the alarm on intruders. A dependable guard dog also makes a great trusted family friend. A trained dog or dogs become the best option because now you also have a mobile attack force to chase the bad people away before you have to. Dogs can be trained for security and attacking, there are many schools available to enroll your dog(s) into. You only need go online to find the closest dog training school in your area.


Article Source: Tom Genot