Are home invasions a new phenomenon, or is it just that the term "home invasion" is new? nt

[raccoon]

[DinahMoeHum]

1. I've heard the expression from the 1980's. . .

so nothing new here.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Ten + years ago it was used in reference to massive break-ins of houses in the

immigrant communities, specifically Vietnamese gang crimes.

I think the use of the term - and the technique - are both more common now.

[DesertRat]

3. I think it's a new term

It sounds so much more sinister that a break-in...

[mtnester]

4. No, just escalating

parents were in law enforcement (father is still police officer, mother was a 911 dispatcher since 1970) and I am in a field that hears all of these type of dispatches...so no, just escalating, dramtically so the past 36 months, but they were escalating even 15 years ago.

Central Ohio area.

[masuki bance]

5. Home invasions were big news in the late 80's and early 90's

here in the Bay Area. Many immigrant families would not use banks, other immigrant gangs would target known stashes of cash and valuables.

[SteppingRazor]

6. It's a new term meant to scare old people. At least, that's my ridiculous theory...

that I'm sticking to.

I swear, every time I talk to my sainted mother, she's gotta bring up "home invasions."

[Auggie]

10. What a marketing tool to sell home security systems

Or, on a larger scale, to market privatized security police like Xe (Blackwater) to patrol high-end neighborhoods/homeowners associations.

Hah, I'm overly paranoid...

[Statistical]

7. Historically in the US most burgularies are "cold".

Where in many other countries the % that are "hot" is higher.

cold = no-one home
hot = resident home

I don't trust media.
They make violent crime seem to be up but it is down.
They make homicides seem to be up but it is lower than any point since the 60s.

It is possible it is the same thing here.

Hopefully DOJ or FBI runs some stats and we can see if the hot vs cold % has changed.

[LuvNewcastle]

8. That's what happened in

"In Cold Blood" and that was in the 50's or 60's.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. And it got a book and movie because it was such a rarity.

There was a time when burglars NEVER carried guns, because the penalty for being caught with a gun in a burglary was much harsher than without - then with the NRA's help the concept of the 'home defense' weapons escalated the situation so that burglars themselves had to start arming up in self defense against the guns. Once they had the guns, it became easier to start hitting occupied houses instead of picking out unoccupied targets. It would seem now that most burglars are armed.

Home invasions would be almost unheard of, without the proliferation of guns.

[benEzra]

12. If your hypothesis were true, the UK would have a lower rate of home invasions than the USA

when in fact the percentage of "hot" burglaries in the UK is considerably higher than ours. Our home invasion rate is actually rather low, though the MSM certainly likes to sell fear whenever they can.

[Statistical]

14. Really?

Poor poor burglars they HAD to carry guns to defend themselves against armed homeowners.
Maybe they should form a union and collectively organize to prevent homeowners from being armed.

Why is it every gun rant involves the NRA). What exactly is a 'home defense weapon'? As if someone in the 1960 who had a shotgun for hunting never thought... "wait a second I could load this thing and shoot people that break in". It wasn't until the NRA marketed the "home defense shotgun" that the light bulb went off.

Rant aside there are no facts back up your claim.

Burglary rate in UK is double the US rate. It has gone UP since they banned guns.
Not only that the "hot" rate (% of burglaries where the home is occupied) is HIGHER.
So more burglaries, more occupied burglaries, and even the % is higher.

Meanwhile in the US the burglary rates has been declining for 20 years in the US (I guess those "NRA home defense shotguns" helped). The overwhelming majority of burglaries in the US occur when nobody is home.

It is safer for the criminal.
They don't need to carry a weapon (which is an additional charge if caught)
They are don't risk being in a gun battle and having burglary charged bumped up to felony murder.
They are less likely to be caught because due to 2 income households most neighborhoods are deserted in the middle of the day.

Of course wild, rants devoid of facts about the NRA are fun.

Let me try:

I heard the NRA sponsored a bill that would require every American to shoot a bunny once a year in order to get their tax return! DAMN NRA. Don't they care about the bunnies!

[EC]

11. Home invasions go back

watch "Clockwork Orange"

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. LOL.

Oh. Are you serious?

Referencing a science fiction movie about a dystopic future that was (approximately) TODAY?

[benEzra]

16. No less fictional than the claim that gun ownership is the reason for home invasions...

when the UK's rate is easily twice the US rate.

[RamboLiberal]

13. I've heard the term Home Invasion for over a decade

I've heard of it happening in wealthy areas where a gang of criminals find it an easy way to make a score.

And last couple of years I've heard it a lot in the news in middle to lower class areas related to drug crimes where a group invades to rob a drug dealer of money/drugs. Also sometimes in gang situations in retaliation.

Sometimes these invaders in both situations actually dress as law enforcement or show a badge to gain quick entry.