As burglars torment L.A. neighborhood, anxious residents consider buying guns, hiring security
As burglars torment L.A. neighborhood, anxious residents consider buying guns, hiring security
Crime statistics show Encino is seeing far more burglaries than other parts of Los Angeles, with break-ins south of the 101 Freeway up 40% in the neighborhood in July.
Resident Stephanie Rosenthal has reached the point of taking pictures of suspicious cars on her street and approaching strangers sitting in their cars.
There's absolutely no way that there isn't racial profiling and isn't going to end with a non-white resident getting shot by a suspicious homeowner.
Also, burglary is not a legal reason to use lethal force. Robbery is.
Burglary is a valid reason to use lethal force. Burglary is a crime most people do not understand. The intent is to enter a home/commercial building to commit a felony.
California is a castle doctrine state that allows you to use deadly force in your home.
Burglary is a property crime. In most states, you are not legally permitted to use lethal force to defend property. A home invasion is not generally going to be classified as a burglary. In the cases that they're largely discussing in the article, these were property crimes committed when the homeowner was not present, and as such the homeowner was never at risk; castle doctrine simply doesn't apply.
I have no issues with people using firearms of their choice to defend their own lives or the lives of other people, but that's not what this is.
Here's the problem. When someone breaks in, how do you know what they intend to do?
You don't, if you're currently at home.
But that's not what most of these are.
One--one--that was detailed in the article was an aborted attempt, and it ended as soon as the would-be thief realized that the owners were home.