During a raid, the police can and will throw flash-bang stun and smoke grenades through the window to disorient the occupants. To protect yourself, apply window film (clear or tinted) to your windows which will cause the cop grenade to pop back into the yard instead of your bedroom. This really works.

More than 100 American families have their homes raided by SWAT teams every single day and there are more than 80,000 SWAT raids per year in the United States. Here are more mind blowing raid facts:

1. In 65 percent of SWAT deployments, “a battering ram, boot, or some sort of explosive device” is used to gain forced entry to a home.

2. In at least 36 percent of all SWAT raids, “no contraband of any kind” is found by the police.

3. In cases where it is suspected that there is a weapon in the home, police only find a weapon 35 percent of the time.

4. Only 7 percent of all SWAT deployments are for “hostage, barricade or active-shooter scenarios”.

In some states it is illegal to fortify your house for the purposes of denying entry to law enforcement but it’s not illegal to fortify your home to make it harder for “bad guys” to enter. In the end, virtually any house can be broken into by anyone and success is just a matter of the available time, tools on hand, and the amount of resistance the bad guys meet from the homeowner. The main goal is to slow down the bad guys long enough so you are never caught off guard and have time to prepare. I do not advocate violence or force against law enforcement or any persons. If the police have a search warrant, they will enter your house. Fight the cops in court but never during a raid or arrest.

Securing Your Doors

The exterior doors to your house (front door, back door, ect.) are the weakest points. If you have anything other than a solid core hardwood or steel encased door, GET RID OF IT. If you have any glass windows in your door, or along the sides of your door frame, get rid of it. A thousand dollar door with a two hundred dollar lock can be defeated in seconds by simply breaking a window and reaching in and unlocking the door. For the same reasons, sliding glass doors also must go. Once you have a solid core (windowless) doors in place, you need to reinforce them. A standard door mounted to a standard frame can be kicked open by a teenager with a pair of converse high tops. You need to make sure your door is kick proof. You may also want to look at a heavy metal screen or storm door. Another option is to build a cage inside your home that surrounds the door you want to protect. When the cops smash open the door and step inside, they find themselves in a small jail that contains a heavily chained cage door that cannot be forced open. I’ve seen this method used in many drug houses and it’s very effective.

Although The Door Sentinel website sells a kit for under $50.00, you don’t have to buy their products. You can get everything you need at a local hardware store but the website will explain the concept behind fortifying your doors. Here is a photo of the Door Sentinel system which is a set of cold-rolled steel metal plates that harden your door to prevent door kick-ins and forced entry. The Door Sentinel installs in minutes and will fit almost every door. You will be impressed if you watch the short video that demonstrates how well this product works. (NeverGetBusted is not associated with The Door Sentinel in any way and this is not an advertisement.)