There is a knock on your door...

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I would make the call for them, but not let them in the house.
I would call the police first, then the other number.

I had a boy come to the door, he was on his way home at 9:00 pm, it was dark.
He wanted to talk to my daughter, who he knew from school.
I told him it was to late, to come back before dark next time.
I never saw him again.
 
Tank-Girl said:
Thank you Sentry for this thread because I believe it saved my bacon the other night when I had a intoxicated female come to door and demand entry.
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It's scary how I posted this and twice since a similar situation has happened to a forum member. Yikes. I am glad you weathered that situation without injury and that this thread might have helped. I teach a "tactical thinking" class at my department where we talk about the importance of running scenarios through one's mind when they are in a state of safe rest. Having some loose plan in our heads before something happens helps us go jump into action versus getting stuck in processing and then reaction.
 
lonewolf said:
just because someone knocks on your door dosent mean you have to open it, we never answer the door after dark.
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Many people haven’t even thought of this. It is the same with a ringing phone. Just because it rings doesn’t mean you have to answer it. I screen out and do not answer calls from unknown numbers. If it is important, they can leave a message.
 
joel said:
Sentry18,
We are blessed to have you here.
Some of us have had some training, but a refresher/ reminder is always Welcome !
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Thank you.

Weedygarden said:
It is the same with a ringing phone. Just because it rings doesn’t mean you have to answer it.
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It's called control theory. Where we become conditioned to stimulus-response. Seems like the enemy of preparedness and good tactical thinking.
 
For me there is a built in trigger mechanism in the question. Maybe change the scenario a little bit, and see if the responses are the same. Some stranger comes knocking at 11:30 Friday night, of course all the alarm bells and whistles go off. No way I am opening the door. Talk through the door. If you need help, stranded, distressed, I will call the police for you. You can sit right down and wait for them. Response time in my area shouldn't be more than 5 minutes.

What if they came to your door at 5:00 pm on a Wednesday? Maybe someone carrying a package? We have delivery people in and out of our area all the time. My wife gets deliveries several times a week (makes me crazy but I regress). Would you be more likely to open the door under those circumstances, or would OPSEC be the same?
 
Morgan101 said:
What if they came to your door at 5:00 pm on a Wednesday? Maybe someone carrying a package? We have delivery people in and out of our area all the time. My wife gets deliveries several times a week (makes me crazy but I regress). Would you be more likely to open the door under those circumstances, or would OPSEC be the same?
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Yes, I think that is different to get a knock at 5 pm on a Wednesday, especially now during Christmas season when you might be getting deliveries of packages. I don't get many packages delivered so this would not be common for me.
 
No matter what time the knock comes the dogs are the first to the door. The door is half glass so any visitor sees the 2 mastiff and the lab who thinks she's a mastiff long before they see us. That makes most people wait at the far end of the 20ft porch closer to their car.
 
My OPSEC protocols are the same 24/7/365. Kids don't answer doors, doors are always locked, video is always checked first, we talk through the video doorbell if we don't personally know the person, the adult answering the door is armed in some fashion, and the Rottweilers are always standing with the person who answers the door (like it or not).

And by the way around here no delivery people knock on your door unless they require a signature and 99% of the time we know the package is coming. They just drop off the packages by the door and drive away.
 
Sentry18 said:
My OPSEC protocols are the same 24/7/365. Kids don't answer doors, doors are always locked, video is always checked first, we talk through the video doorbell if we don't personally know the person, the adult answering the door is armed in some fashion, and the Rottweilers are always standing with the person who answers the door (like it or not).

And by the way around here no delivery people knock on your door unless they require a signature and 99% of the time we know the package is coming. They just drop off the packages by the door and drive away.
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I know that Crosby would go off when someone was at the door when we were at my daughters. Her bark was deep and she would go into protect mode, until she realized it was a friend or something. I took delivery of a table saw there once and a couple other things that really required answering the door. However, once in a while, Crosby would see someone walking down the street while we were driving and something about that person would set her off. I could never quite figure out what it was. Thankfully, that never happened at the front door.

I only have had to sign for one package in the last few years and it was when my uncle sent me my grandparents documents for my genealogy work. I received their original Social Security cards and their birth certificates, along with other documents. On the other hand, one time I received a check for several thousand dollars, and it was laying in an envelope by my front door. When I saw it and realized what it was, I wondered why it wasn't sent to be delivered more securely? In many places it would have gone missing.
 
Weedygarden said:
I know that Crosby would go off when someone was at the door when we were at my daughters. Her bark was deep and she would go into protect mode, until she realized it was a friend or something.
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Funny things is that our Rotties will bark sometimes, but the never jump on the door or run around. Normally they just go stand by the door and deep growl and wait for one of us to answer it. Then they just stand and stare waiting to attack while continuing to make deep growling sounds. They have unnerved many sales people and delivery drivers. They are especially protective of my wife when she goes to the door. We once had a petitioner try and hand my wife a clip board. The dogs went from deep growl to loud snarling and snapping as they walked him back 10'. Now we have a no-soliciting sign and a beware of dogs sign.
 
Sentry18 said:
Funny things is that our Rotties will bark sometimes, but the never jump on the door or run around. Normally they just go stand by the door and deep growl and wait for one of us to answer it. Then they just stand and stare waiting to attack while continuing to make deep growling sounds. They have unnerved many sales people and delivery drivers. They are especially protective of my wife when she goes to the door. We once had a petitioner try and hand my wife a clip board. The dogs went from deep growl to loud snarling and snapping as they walked him back 10'. Now we have a no-soliciting sign and a beware of dogs sign.
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I am thinking I need to increase my front door and side gate signage. I never wanted it to be obnoxious, but I am still thinking about my visitor earlier this week and thinking to use it for being better prepared security wise. My neighbor has a sign which says something like, "My dog can be her in seconds." It has a picture of a doberman. He is on his third doberman.
 
Sentry18 said:
It's 11:30pm on a Friday night. There is a knock at your main door. Your front light is on. You don't see a vehicle outside but it appears that a young woman is standing on your porch/steps/entry. She is holding something reminiscent of how a woman would hold an infant. There have been some burglaries in your area but no home invasions or the like. How do you proceed?
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You ask her through the intercom what she wants. Maybe she is legitimate, maybe not.....home invaders have been known to use a decoy. In any case, you don't go near the door without your firearm.
 
Sign by our main driveway:

We've met Jesus,
Gave at the office,
Love our vacuum.
Unless you're selling thin mints,
Go away.

Late afternoon our door bell rings. Signage on the truck indicates a roofing company. I step out shutting the door behind me.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Saw your sign about thin mints." Chuckled the salesman. "I'm giving estimates for hailed damaged roofs."

"Do you have thin mints?" I asked.

"No." He answered

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

Salesman wished me a good day. I wished him a good day and watched him get back into his truck and leave my property.
 
I'm going to have to put a bit more thought into this...

I live in a small town. (Pop. 2000) 1 officer on duty at a time. I live in an upstairs apartment, over a business. My entry is not secure, per se, but it's defensible as it is a landing at the bottom of steep stairs. TBH I've only had one person knock on my door in 3 1/2 years here. That was a deputy, delivering legal papers. The deputies know my place well. Previous tenant was a member of a 1% motorcycle gang, and a drug dealer/addict. They were here more than a few times...;)

Guess I need to think about my level of readiness. Might do me well to get a better plan...
 
Again everyone's circumstances are different. Here I would always answer the door. Places are far apart and in the winter months most local houses are vacant. If someone had car trouble here in the winter they could be in bad trouble without help. Cell phone coverage is spotty at best. If a neighbor knocked on my door day or night asking for help, I would do my best to help them. When you live in the country neighbors have to help neighbors. Someone five or ten miles away would still be my neighbor.
But I think Churchill said something like this - "I am a man of peace but if war knocks on my door, it will find me home".
 
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