Sorry Jeff---
My house was robbed few years back. Ransacked
and all.. Took laptops, pistols, change. Bad thing is you have to change checking accounts credit cards because you don't really know what is missing. Since then we have a safe. The biggest problem is the judges keep letting these kids off that break into homes.
If they held their parents responsible $$ it would stop overnight but they don't. Can you imagine if you had to go do public service and paid a fine because your dumb ass kid graffitied some wall. Do you think your kid would anticipate getting the crap beat out of him when he got home.
Uniform cops are good but very frustrated. Detectives can not get to work all cases as they have piles of stuff on their desks. They just take the information. My assistant DA (bunch of young lawyers just trying to get experience) wouldn't even take the bolt cutters, cell phone etc that I found in the recovered jeep that was taken. They said they got the guy (yes they got him) but were going after him for another car that was worth more $$. After all it was only his second offense and he was a druggie. Can you believe it?
Most of us would panic if we had a gun in the house and got startled. Probably shoot ourselves or someone in the house other then the scum trying to get in. Best bet is to have alarm that is loud so the whole dam neighbor can hear it. Have dogs also. I have both and set both every time I am gone and when I go to bed. Alarm company calls the house in less then 20 seconds and if I don't give them the password, the cops show up. I also let the neighbors (adults, not the young kids) that I am gone on vacation and they watch the house. I cancel landscapers, cleaning people etc. No one at the house except maybe deliveries.