Anyone else live very close to a large homeless camp?

[u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

I hope this post doesn't get too controversial, but it's getting to a point where I no longer want to work in my garden when I'm home alone. More people have been approaching our home lately. Me, my partner, and even his mom on separate occasions have been asked for things. We've had multiple things stolen, mostly small, but with kids things get left outside.

Do you have a homeless camp within a block or two of your home, and if so, how do you deal with it?

[u/Plastic-Inspector363]

Steps you should take if you aren't leaving anytime soon:

1) Don't leave anything outside and make sure you have well lit areas outside your home. Invest in some motion lights.

2) Get a camera surveillance system to give you full coverage outside your home. Personally, I'd look for solar powered cameras that can connect to my wifi and keep the footage stored with mobile access.

3) Consider placing chimes on your doors.

4) If you are open to having a dog I'd consider getting one.

5) Get yourself a firearm, some training, and a small safe since you have kids. Remember the police are there to respond to a crime, not come save you like Superman. You are your family's first responder and protector.

[u/Unusual-Horse-7709 → u/Plastic-Inspector363]

Other than some things getting left outside, we have 1, 2, and 3 covered. The last guy didn't seem to care about the doorbell camera or when the motion lights came on.

We can't really afford a dog atm. And no guns with the littles.

[u/Plastic-Inspector363 → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

It's not about them caring. It's about you being notified of some crazy lurking around your home so you can be prepared if necessary.

As far as no gun or dog, at least make sure you have something for protection. A biometric safe only opens with your or the other adult's fingerprints and can be had for under $75 on Amazon. A drug addict, desperate, or mentally ill person with ill intent won't be persuaded from doing harm to you and yours with strong language.

You made this post because whatever is happening is concerning enough for you to make it (relatively) public enough to seek advice. They aren't leaving anytime soon. Stay safe.

[u/Unusual-Horse-7709 → u/Plastic-Inspector363]

I have pistols located elsewhere. I agreed with my partner that I'd not keep them at the house. A shotgun does make more of a deterrent, but a guard dog might be easier to convince him of. And the kids would love a dog. We'd have to diy the electric fence and of course the time to train it.

[u/Itsdawsontime → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

Is there a reason why you would do an electric fence and not a regular fence? A regular fence seems like it may deter both the people who are bothering you and the possibility of a dog in the future.

You also DO NOT want to leave a dog outside, in a fenced in yard, with people coming into your yard and stealing things from it. A small dog isn’t going to do anything, someone may steal a purebred, and I’ve had homeless threaten my dogs when they’ve barked at them.

Nonetheless - a dog would likely further complicate the same scenario with the above details, and you are going to be taking the dog on walks and being out in the yard more often with them.

[u/Unusual-Horse-7709 → u/Itsdawsontime]

I've had dogs at my parents house and we had an electric fence that was buried. It kept the dog in the places they were allowed and out of the garden and food beds.

We're unlikely to get a dog in our current situation either way. The thing that bothered me most was the police telling me people are getting more desperate.

[u/Itsdawsontime → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

I completely understand all of that - never thought about putting up an electric fence within the fence around the garden/food beds as well which makes A LOT of sense for a dog that's a mooch. Thank god mine leave them alone.

I'm really sorry to hear all of this going on, and definitely wishing you the best of luck. It's also sad to hear the police saying people are going to get more desperate.

My other thought was that the fence could also keep your property more private from them. I didn't know if a wooden privacy fence on the side they may be bothering you was a possibility; though I don't know if it's the front of your property (vs. side or back) that is the issue, in which case makes sense why you couldn't do it.

My greater reason was definitely the homeless interacting with the dog, and possibly not being able to let it out unsupervised because of that. I've heard horror stories of them throwing things to them they shouldn't have, yelling at dogs, and that one incident where the unhoused person threatened my dog he yelled at it to shut up then dig the "finger gun" pointed at it and went "pow pow pow".

[u/Unusual-Horse-7709 → u/Itsdawsontime]

Oh lord, you just brought a memory to the surface. My father had dogs as a kid in a city, and people would poison them! Definitely cannot leave them outside on their own.

We have a fence in the backyard but the front is a wall of hedges for privacy. We have a camera on that too after being approached in front of that hedge facing the street.

[u/Itsdawsontime → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

I can’t believe people do anything like that to animals 😞 it sounds like you’ve got a good number of measures being taken.

I definitely feel for the unhoused in this current weather we’re having, but we desperately need to figure something out. Where I’m from in Pittsburgh they just removed the final BIG encampment of unhoused - but they also help with housing after the fact -

500 in 500 is an initiative, launched in June 2024, to help people out of homelessness by making 500 affordable housing units available in Allegheny County in 500 days.

[if anyone reads the article, just know that “Jail Trail” is the nickname of a running / biking path that goes past the city jail, not something negative]

[u/Zikkafoos → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

Pistols that are located elsewhere don't help you in the event of a home invasion.

[u/Greedy_Big8275 → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

Instead of a dog you can get something like this

https://a.co/d/234BV92 (Amazon link)

[u/Unusual-Horse-7709 → u/Greedy_Big8275]

The kids want to make their own. They want to make something rustle the bushes by the porch while this goes off. It's definitely on the list of to-dos.

[u/rickissick60 → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

Hey OP, you should look into fostering a dog! Usually the place you foster from covers all the expenses of the dog!

https://spcawake.org/get-involved/foster-care-network/

Homeless Camp Reporting Tool: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/de4e79556ecd400887729dfe1e6cee3a

Edit: added the link for foster care at SPCA here in Wake County

[u/Supacoopa3 → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

Guns and littles are fine as long as you get an appropriate safe and utilize trigger locks. The sound of a pump shotgun will deter a vast majority of what you’re concerned about. Keep an unloaded pump action around for the literal sound and keep anything dangerous locked up?

[u/JoeStyles → u/Supacoopa3]

What a moron.

Yes let's brandish an unloaded firearm with the hopes that they don't possibly have one as well

[u/pt5 → u/Unusual-Horse-7709]

We protect things we value with firearms. Cash-in-transit trucks, politicians, pro athletes and musicians, celebrities, etcetera are all protected with armed guards.

You are your household’s guard - do you love your children at least as much as a bank loves the money in its transport trucks? Having children is a reason TO get a firearm if you love and value them.

[u/Downtown-Problem-838 → u/pt5]

Households with Guns are at a greater risk than housholds without. This has been shown time and time again, and of course is common sense. Here is one article with link to study but there’s many more: https://time.com/6183881/gun-ownership-risks-at-home/

[u/pt5 → u/Downtown-Problem-838]

Yeah and you’re more likely to die in a plane crash if you ride in an airplane 🙄

You mean the presence of an item means something involving that item is more likely to happen than if it wasn’t present? No shit - that’s the most pointless “statistic” I’ve ever heard.

[u/Downtown-Problem-838 → u/pt5]

Great, now please explain how having a gun in your house protects you from fatal assaults.

[u/pt5 → u/Downtown-Problem-838]

The same way riding in an airplane helps you visit your loved ones for the holidays. Is there an inherent risk? Sure. But if you love them, that’s an intelligent risk you’re willing to take.

If you seriously don’t understand how a firearm can protect you from assault then you’re beyond helping. You need to help (educate) yourself. Start here, here, and here.

[u/apachesunrise1812 → u/pt5]

Bro your comment is getting so much hate from the crazies who hate reality despite the root word “real.”

Weird world we live in.

[u/pt5 → u/apachesunrise1812]

Right?! It’s the Raleigh sub though so we can’t be too surprised - the overwhelming majority of people here moved to the state from California or the northeast within the last decade and brought the ideology they fled with them 🤦🏼‍♂️

[u/JoeStyles → u/pt5]

Yep well most of the yokels here are morons anyways so we could use some new ideologies around here

[u/thatsanicehaircut → u/Plastic-Inspector363]

adding to this good list - couple cans of bear spray on hand, self defense tools (knife pen, pepper gel, stun gun) on you when you are outdoors or coming/going.

[u/Rkd1958 → u/thatsanicehaircut]

Yes! These are the things I rely on!

[u/Supacoopa3 → u/Plastic-Inspector363]

Cameras are cheap. Buy them.

[u/Queasy-Fish1775 → u/Supacoopa3]

Cameras shows you what already happened.