Husband wants me to have an air gun for defence

[assess]

Hello MN. Unfortunately. I live in a street in London that is frequently targeted by burglars, particularly during the Xmas period when they can tell if people are away. In the last few weeks, there have been 2 burglaries on the street (daytime ones while people were out). But what worries me more, is several videos (captured by security cameras) of burglars coming up to neighbours front doors in the early hours. It’s not just this road, but also round the corner.

I am very freaked out at the actual sight of the burglars. More so than I was following the two occasions we were actually burgled (because both of these break-ins were in the day). My husband has set up very good security since then, but still I don’t sleep if he’s away on business. Last time, following our actual burglary, he got his driver to sit outside when he has to go away for a few nights, but this is not sustainable going forwards. Now we have an alarm system that shines mega bright lights in their eyes and also releases smoke on them if they get in, but I’m still highly anxious because one of the burglars on the CCTV had something that looked like a machete and I don’t think they even care about security. Possibly they are high on drugs, I don’t know? The police say they don’t have the resources to patrol the area. Now my husband has told me he has ordered an air gun - specifically for self-defence. Does anyone have such a thing and would you / have you used it if so?

God how awful to be so afraid that you can't sleep safely in your own home. As pps have said, you obviously have lots of money so move. That is no life to have people with machetes outside your front door at night.

Where on earth do you live?

I live in a shabby area in East London and nobody is getting burgled here. Come and join us so at least you can sleep at night!

An air gun? For defence against what? The local squirrels?

Seriously, spend the money on good locks instead.

Why does he pay his driver,,who even has a driver! Is he bill gates?

It’s so odd to be so wealthy you’ve a personal driver, can afford to pay them to sit for several days outside your home, can afford high end security systems, but live in an area where folks are robbing with machetes, not to have the common sense to hire a private security firm instead of paying your driver, and think that giving your scared wife an air gun, of all things, solves the problem becayse you live in a roughest of rough ass neighbourhoods,

We do have good security now (as in an alarm system etc). All the windows are some type of reinforced glass. Motion lights in the drive. Alarmed locks on all the windows and I have a thing by the bed which will go off and I can press SOS and it goes straight through to to the police. Plus the smoke thing and cameras that film anyone entering.

For many years I have been fine on my own with our children and never worried particularly. But I feel very anxious now. I phoned the police to ask what they can do. They said, nothing much. But they said people are much more anxious these days as security (particularly the Ring doorbells) are picking up a lot of activity that people were not aware of before because it was never visible.

Christ, where in London do you live? People are prowling your street with machetes?!

If your husband can afford a driver, he can afford a professional private security firm instead of paying some poor fella to sit awake in a car outside your house overnight.

Its central London, I don’t want to say where exactly. It’s not usually this bad at all and usually no worse than anywhere else, but there has been a recent spate over the Xmas period for some reason.

@assess

We do have good security now (as in an alarm system etc). All the windows are some type of reinforced glass. Motion lights in the drive. Alarmed locks on all the windows and I have a thing by the bed which will go off and I can press SOS and it goes straight through to to the police. Plus the smoke thing and cameras that film anyone entering.

For many years I have been fine on my own with our children and never worried particularly. But I feel very anxious now. I phoned the police to ask what they can do. They said, nothing much. But they said people are much more anxious these days as security (particularly the Ring doorbells) are picking up a lot of activity that people were not aware of before because it was never visible.

This is London, UK right? In 2022? Not some dystopian version of London from a disaster movie?

What's the plan for the driver on nights he's outside. Surely all he's going to do is ring the police which you can do by pressing the button when the alarm goes off?

Move and get a big dog.

stupid idea, you might get yourself shot
at the moment you dont need a licence under a certain power
could always give them a faceful of hairspray or deoderant
if really scared move house !

It sounds like an absolute hell hole.
It cannot be worth living there, for the sake of your health. Do everything you can to move.

When he is away hire security or move.

If you are as wealthy as you appear OP either
A. Move house
Or
B. Install a panic room in your home you can go to if your burglars get past all the security devices you have.

Wow. That’s a lot of security,

Just get private guards when he’s away. You can obvs afford it. Or go stay in a hotel.

We don’t have someone sitting in a car all night. That was just a one-off for a few nights last year when we had been burgled. The police had said sometimes they come back within a couple if weeks. Car theft is also common, but that doesn’t bother me. As long as they don’t get in the house. Even in our last house, we were burgled for the car keys! This was a common pattern at the time, according to the police and organised car thrives were targeting that area then. They move around.

@assess

Its central London, I don’t want to say where exactly. It’s not usually this bad at all and usually no worse than anywhere else, but there has been a recent spate over the Xmas period for some reason.

With respect, your arse, as we say in my neck of the woods.

As PPs have said, if you're so staggeringly wealthy that you can afford to have some poor bastard to sit outside your house all night (to do what? Phone the cops or put themselves in danger at your expense?), then you can afford to move.

Jog on, princess.

Are you the very young woman with the insanely wealthy husband ? The one that put a picture of her luxurious bedroom on here —that turned out to be a hotel room—

An airgun will be used against you.

Better to get a large, heavy strap-on within easy reach to belt up. Then put a sign on the door saying "Burglars will get pegged".

Usually works.

And to go back to my earlier post, DO NOT GET A GUN.

Move, hire private security, get a big barky dog (I'm not in favour of this, because I don't like the thought that bad people will hurt animals), but FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, DO NOT GET A GUN.

Either you will hurt other people or other people will hurt you (the latter is more likely).

We don’t have someone sitting in a car all night. That was just a one-off for a few nights last year when we had been burgled

This is a very contradictory sentence. No one is suggesting you do it all the time, but if you can afford a house with a large drive , can afford to replace all your windows with reenforced glass, can afford high end security systems, can pay someone to sit outside your home for several nights, and all this in central London, and your husband has his own chauffeur, then you can afford a better solution than an air gun.

That’s what people are telling you. It’s a twatish solution. If the security you have is still not enough, then either hire security guards when he’s away or move to a hotel for thr duration, or move house.

Hmmm

It is a bit mind boggling that someone with all that could think his wife trying to defend herself with an air gun is a good idea.

on many aspects of this story.