Deterrence....presence....Q8

If your wife is calling the police, I recommend not going outside to look for burglars. That’s a good way to get shot when police arrive and see you creeping around.

Well, jeez, I don’t know how to say this without coming off like a douche. But your assumption that just because you live in a safe neighborhood and that your perpetrator is a druggy and wouldn’t expect it is the exact thing that can get you killed. Bright light is going to make you a target and it will show the bad guy exactly where you are. Though they may be surprised at the brightness of your light you still gave them a target to shoot at. I am no expert in shooting statistics but I think it’s safe to say that your odds of being killed by a bullet are far greater when someone is shooting at you versus not shooting at you.

Good luck in the future sir. I hope your future is not cut short by relying on a flashlight as a blinding weapon.

OP, Where abouts are you? One mistake could get you killed man. What I mean is trigger happy cops as main factor. Too many shoot down for mistaken identity. I can site a few recently. Trader Joes Store Manager, Military guy legally armed trying to help active shooting, shooting of unarmed teen, etc… Many more.

You are lucky as cops these days shot and thing later. Especially if you have bright light in their face.

So TRUE. See my post above this reply.

I have to agree with toddcshoe. Assuming anything can get you killed……

There is a vast difference on the danger level between countries which I don’t think my American friends see.

To obtain a handgun in Canada, where I am, it is a highly restricted weapon. You face extensive multiple background checks, courses and ridiculous level of restrictions. You can not even move the gun between your house and the shooting range without police permission. If I remember correctly, you can’t even get a permit of you are not a member of a gun range.

To obtain an illegal gun costs thousands and unless they are connected to a gang, it’s hard to find them.

Also, unless they are crazy, they know that a break in is going to be a few years of jail, maybe not even that, an armed break in will be 10 years or more.

Just like where you are, the majority would carry nothing, some may carry a knife and an the vast majority would choose to run. On the very rare occasion of one carrying a gun, 30 meters is a pretty long distance for them not to feel trapped so again, running away is the likely scenario.

Of course there could be an exception.

I am a pro-gun advocate, but unfortunatly, there is a completely different level of danger in an equivalent scenario in the US.

Regardless, I thought that it was an interesting discussion of how a powerful flashlight added a dimension of safety….particularly because it just happened to me. But alas….

The cops in our area do not arrive at the scene with guns drawn. Particularly on a well lit street in an low crime upper middle class residential area. Their first choice of drawing something was their flashlights. Lol.

I may be wrong, but from what I know, for them to draw a gun, they would need to feel that there is a violent, gun related crime in process.

Having said this, I appreciate the concern. Anything can happen and perhaps in hindsight, a little more prudence is needed.

This discussion has gone sideways. My bad.

Well, I think you did well. My neighbor and I have a mutual watch going when we are on vacation or away for a weekend.
We do a walkabout of our property checking for anything unusual. I investigate with a big light. I do have my cell on and with me and if really concerned a Glock. We also have bears after our fallen apples and we were awakened one night by a cougar hitting the electric fence around our garden. Man, that was one loud scream.

With the Q8 on any burglar could see me coming from 100 yards away as the properties are both over an acre. I really don’t think they would hang around to confront me.

My situation was a little different, when I was staying at a different location, I had neighbors that every weekend would play music well into the evening up to 2am-4am. This would even happen on regular work days as well. There’d be times I’d call the police but sometimes they would come, sometimes they wouldn’t, and when they did it would take them like an hour to make a pass. . . . .

So what I did is I purchased the Fenix LD75C that has the police Red and Blue LED’s and I’d go outside and turn it on to make it look like the police were on their way. . . worked everytime. lol

I even got crazier and bought a bullhorn from amazon that had built it siren. I’d turn that on too if I had to wake up early the next day.

One caution — when pointing the light at any potentially armed person hold the flashlight at arm’s length to one side, so anyone shooting at the light is a bit less likely to hit you. Don’t hold it right in front of you and make yourself a large target behind the light.

I learned this when trying to get the attention of some probably drunk probably idiots who were night-shooting randomly off a mountainside road turnout, right above our family campsite.

Talking about security….and a bit off topic.

I have the usual infared detecting lights covering the outside of the house at the entry points. I plan to build a new house and cover it with very low light cameras and two levels of lumen flood lights from under the rafters. I’m still keeping the point of entry lights.

Statistically, most of the buglaries happen between 11 and 3 am. With led light bulbs,directional ability and their very low level of power consumption, 500 lumens per side costs a cup of coffee a month. Without the cover of darkness and without the ability of thieves being able to turn off those lights, plus visible cameras, the chances of being robbed in a very low crime area are getting closer to tiny.

Of course, prepare for the worst….if all else fails, pump action shotguns aren’t sexy but highly effective….

You speak like someone who has “learned” all these techniques off crime shows.

Please stay safe!

Hmm, could’ve been a drug-crazed rabbit trying to get in for a quick score.

Loaded up on PCP, they could bust bones trying to break in and not even feel it.

Cripes, that reminds me of my former girlfriend……

Even confronting criminals without guns is a dangerous proposition as people can and are killed by knives, clubs, fists, etc. Better to stay in your home (armed if possible) and let the police handle the situation.

I once heard scratching on my second floor baloney door. I pulled the drapes partly aside with a 9mm in hand and was confronted by 2 masked desperadoes! Lucky for those raccoons I didn’t want blood and guts all over my deck :slight_smile:

Look at those teeth! I knew there was a reason to stay away from those little round-poopers!

SIG, I had that happen too. They were in my kitchen eating cat food, and my super bright flashlight didn’t faze them at all. Neither did the red dot on one of their cute little faces. I decided to let them eventually just leave, instead of having a big clean up job.

I agree with this statement 100%. Always try to make your house the least desirable as possible to be broken into. The more light, the less desirable. :wink:

Raccoons have taken over in San Francisco :frowning: . Sure wish we could do something about them but too many people here are opposed to any control on, in my opinion, out-of-control wild life.