If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you saw the post in June about our new ATV being stolen. It was a rough time because it was stolen while we were at a family friend’s funeral, and our Blue truck had broke down on the beach that trip home. I was honestly amazed that someone would come that far off the road system to steal from people. A crime (or 5) of opportunity, I suppose.

We absolutely lucked out though, as one of our neighbors spotted our ATV being driven the next day, along with another stolen ATV. Police were called, and the person admitted to hot-wiring the machines. Court is ongoing, so I won’t say much more. But now we’re a little more conscious of our safety and security out here.

Who do you call when crime happens off grid?

I suppose the answer to this depends on how off grid you are. Police can easily respond to those on road systems. For us, we are off-road, outside city boundaries, and have no borough (county) police here. That leaves us contacting the Alaska State Troopers, which is who responded to this incident. This time we met them at the road, but on other occasions when they have been called to this area they arrived in a helicopter. As you can imagine, response time can be a little slow! That means the number one person I depend on for safety is myself. The best option for us is to deter crime from happening in the first place. But if being hard to get to doesn’t stop criminals, what does?

Crime Detering Gadgets

There are a bunch of electronic things that can be used to deter crime. Trail cameras are often used for properties that are off the grid. There are even ones that take great pictures in the dark, like this highly recommended Campark (Amazon link). Trail cams are great because they are meant to be camouflaged so criminals (or animals!) won’t be able to see and hide from them. There are also regular home security cameras that also be used off grid now. From cameras that run on batteries and solar, to ones that run off of 4G cell service rather than wifi, like these from Reolink (Amazon link), there are lots of options for off grid security cameras.

Another way to deter crime is to limit access. Having fences and gates makes it so that trespassers can’t enter your property easily. There are solar powered gate openers now too! They can be a bit pricey, though. This TOPENS gate kit (Amazon link) is one of the cheapest with good reviews that I found, and it still runs $279. A much cheaper deterrent to start with would be a driveway alarm (Amazon link). There are also simple motion activated lights. There are many solar powered options available on Amazon or through other retailers.

Detering Crime With Animals

Animals are a great way to deter crime, especially for rural properties. Dogs are a great place to start, as they will alert to strangers, and as a bonus, predators. It’s one of the reasons that we keep our dogs around. Donkeys are also well known guard animals. They are naturally territorial and can be quite loud. On top of that, they can also bite and kick when irritated.

Another animal that will loudly alert to strangers or predators is guinea hens. These are on my list of animals to have, though more for their veracity for insects rather than home protection, as their downside is being noisy outside of alerting danger. A quieter guard option would be geese. They can be loud when necessary. And they also have a propensity to chase and a painful bite, as anyone who has ever angered a goose can attest!

What happens when deterrents don’t work?

Even with No Trespassing signs, lights, and alarms, crime might still happen. After all, nobody said criminals were smart! So what other options are there to protect yourself and your property? The answer to this is weapons. From mace to tasers to guns, there are a myriad of different options for protection when an intruder is already on your property. It is best to be well trained in use of any weapons kept in the home. This will help prevent accidents or injury while protecting yourself or others.

Know The Law

To avoid criminal trouble yourself, it is best to study the laws for your local area. Some states may have Stand Your Ground Laws, like Alaska does. This means that a person has no duty to retreat from any place he or she has a right to be before using deadly force. Other states may require a person to attempt retreat before deadly force would be considered justified. Alaska also does not require a permit to conceal carry guns. Many states require permits for carrying guns or other weapons. There are also places that ban certain types of guns, like handguns. Knowing the law is an important part of protecting yourself!