^

IDK, having "big cousin" on the other end of the monitoring could open yourself to other types of privacy abuses.... And in a case where you dont have time to run and manually trigger the alarm, they'd have to already be monitoriing your house, and the alarm would have to be active in the first place (who leaves a motion detector on while they're home)?

Panic buttons don't require the alarm to be activated for entry point or motion detection.  That's why they are called "panic". 

New systems have key fob remotes to set and deactivate alarms.  They can also have a panic button.  Those fobs can be on your keychain in a purse or pocket, sitting next to you, or wherever you can reach them quickly.

You can also have standalone panic buttons sitting on furniture (night stand) or on walls (bathroom) wherever you feel you're most likely to need to call for help. They also offer wearable panic buttons.  Same concept as the Life Alert systems ("Help! I've fallen...). 

Like I said before ... there are so many options available nowadays.  Saying the alarm system is useless doesn't include most new systems that are more than just monitoring doors ,windows, and motion when active.

Would putting pit traps to protect one's backyard be too much?  j/k

My in laws have a remote with a panic,  disarm button
And if they go manually on the keypad if they can enter an alternate distress code instead of the disarm coffee
They also have some other option where a operator calls in and you have a verbal "safety word" and any wrong answer puts out a distress call. 
Never tested response time for 911 in Hawaii though. 

Would putting pit traps to protect one's backyard be too much?  j/k

Yeah.  Booby traps are illegal, especially if they cause injury or possibly death. 

Famous case of a business owner constantly being burglarized.  He installed a metal screen below his ceiling where the thieves keep coming through and electrified it.  One morning, he found a dead teen in the trap.  He was charged with manslaughter.

My in laws have a remote with a panic,  disarm button
And if they go manually on the keypad if they can enter an alternate distress code instead of the disarm coffee
They also have some other option where a operator calls in and you have a verbal "safety word" and any wrong answer puts out a distress call. 
Never tested response time for 911 in Hawaii though.

My experience in Mililani has seen 911 responses in the 2-5 minute range.  If they aren't already on another call, they come running.  That was a few years ago.  Things change, so I don't depend on them always being as responsive.

I used to be in banking and was always told to push the silent alarm after the robber leaves.  The bank didn't want PD showing up super fast and now there is a hostage situation.  Granted now we know it was a robbery and no harm was intended, this would be a similar case.  But at time of, you don't know the true intent and PD on scene fast could help. 

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

What would you do in this situation if you had your handgun on you and you were in her situation not knowing the outcome?  Risk being murdered like that North shore case or fighting it out against 4 gunmen with a hostage.

That is a tough choice to make.

situation:  4 vs 1, they have element of surprise.  you happen to have a handgun.  Other (unarmed) family members.

Knowing all of that upfront (and you rarely know the entire situation until after the event occurs), I would surrender and hope they'd be satisfied with valuables.  If the situation was different, and say I was alone, that may be a different story if you managed to ambush the gunmen or have time to barricade yourself and call the cops.

I used to be in banking and was always told to push the silent alarm after the robber leaves.  The bank didn't want PD showing up super fast and now there is a hostage situation.  Granted now we know it was a robbery and no harm was intended, this would be a similar case.  But at time of, you don't know the true intent and PD on scene fast could help. 

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Hostages are less likely to be executed if needed for negotiations.  Bad guys aren't going to be that eager to trade up from robbery to murder so quickly.

Witnesses are not always that lucky.

You never know what's going to happen when adrenaline (and drugs?) is influencing the perps' actions.

Panic buttons don't require the alarm to be activated for entry point or motion detection.  That's why they are called "panic". 

New systems have key fob remotes to set and deactivate alarms.  They can also have a panic button.  Those fobs can be on your keychain in a purse or pocket, sitting next to you, or wherever you can reach them quickly.

You can also have standalone panic buttons sitting on furniture (night stand) or on walls (bathroom) wherever you feel you're most likely to need to call for help. They also offer wearable panic buttons.  Same concept as the Life Alert systems ("Help! I've fallen...). 

Like I said before ... there are so many options available nowadays.  Saying the alarm system is useless doesn't include most new systems that are more than just monitoring doors ,windows, and motion when active.

That's good points.  I was thinking more of the monitoring aspect, and not the "lifealert" panic button aspect.

My experience in Mililani has seen 911 responses in the 2-5 minute range.  If they aren't already on another call, they come running.  That was a few years ago.  Things change, so I don't depend on them always being as responsive.

Yes, when seconds count, tbe police are just minutes away.

Yes, when seconds count, tbe police are just minutes away.

dont worry, after they arrive, they will take their time and write a nice, detailed report and call you an ambulance

dont worry, after they arrive, they will take their time and write a nice, detailed report and call you an ambulance

... after they confiscate any remaining jewelry to check for prints or DNA.   

Another home invasion happened, wonder if it's the same guys or copycats?  Maybe other criminals are copying it nowadays and it'll be more common.

Police searching for suspects in Kaneohe armed robbery
http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/02/breaking-news/police-searching-for-suspects-in-kaneohe-armed-robbery/

Police were looking for three men, who were masked and armed when they reportedly robbed a 17-year-old boy early Tuesday morning at a Kaneohe home.

The suspects were armed with a dangerous weapon when they entered the home at about 1 a.m. Tuesday and took items from the home, police said.

No one was arrested.

The case is classified as a first-degree robbery.

id hazard a guess at copycats?  if they really stole $1m in jools, you'd wonder why they'd hit up a teenager for his nintendo ds.

Could be the same Kaneohe group.
There was another armed robbery in Kaneohe,  3 guys and a black suv I think.
There was also the Kaneohe incident by the police station where they robbed the cops tenants with a shotgun and one was caught

Sent by a friend but a really good read.  Somewhat longish so get a cup of coffee.

http://looserounds.com/2017/12/21/street-robberies-and-you/

Sent by a friend but a really good read.  Somewhat longish so get a cup of coffee.

http://looserounds.com/2017/12/21/street-robberies-and-you/

Thanks for the post, I did read this before but a really long time ago.  Must have been 10 years or something crazy.  Back then, (and now) these are the parts of the posting that struck me the most.

No one wakes up in the morning one day and decides to become an armed robber. It is a gradual process that requires some experience and desensitizing.
.............
Once a man starts armed robbing he has crossed a line most won’t. Don’t forget that when you are looking these bastards in the eye. Their decision to kill you is already made. Your life means nothing to him. Only his does. His sole motivation for not killing you is he doesn’t want a murder case.
...................
That thing is they WILL kill someone if they keep robbing. That is why the city is willing to pay all the overtime. They don’t want the murders. Think about that when you see Junior coming. The more robberies he does the closer he is to killing someone. Maybe you.

Sent by a friend but a really good read.  Somewhat longish so get a cup of coffee.

http://looserounds.com/2017/12/21/street-robberies-and-you/

Everyone should call their local FBI office and get a copy of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. When it first came out it was ground breaking because it demonstrated to academics and other elites what street police knew all along. What did it show in interviews with cop killers? Nice guys finish dead. That’s right. Most of those offenders commented that the Officer they killed set himself up to be killed because of reluctance to use force early in the encounter.

https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka

Everyone should call their local FBI office and get a copy of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. When it first came out it was ground breaking because it demonstrated to academics and other elites what street police knew all along. What did it show in interviews with cop killers? Nice guys finish dead. That’s right. Most of those offenders commented that the Officer they killed set himself up to be killed because of reluctance to use force early in the encounter.

https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka

Unfortunately, LE have rules to follow and criminals don't.  So the criminals will always have the element of surprise on their side.  And more so now because LE have to worry about "excessive use of force" now that everyone has a camera and the media only plays the last 10 seconds of the videos.

Sent by a friend but a really good read.  Somewhat longish so get a cup of coffee.

http://looserounds.com/2017/12/21/street-robberies-and-you/

I used to home-practice my draw, seeing how fast I could get into a good position during a home invasion, and quick reloading/jam clearing but took a break for a while because Mrs. Barrels thinks it's kind of weird. Went to check my quickdraw safe the other day and found that the battery had died. That and this recent home invasion trend are sobering reminders that there's nothing wrong with a little healthy paranoia.

It sounds like the fundamental lesson here is echoed in a lot of places. We have to make up our minds to use deadly force and contemplate removing all doubt long before the day ever arrives.

That also includes getting over the whole emotional manipulation thing. I caught a skinny dude stealing some stuff from me and and he gave me the biggest puppy dog eyes and told me that it was a mistake with his friend, etc. I let my guard down for a little bit and next thing I know he launches a steel bottle at my head. Still got him and held him for the cops but what shocked me the most was how he played me like a fiddle and then how I saw his eyes change from puppy dog to pure hatred in a split second. Never again.