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Stun Gun or Taser for home protection...legality and comments?


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I searched and reread a thread here about 4 years ago. There were varying comments about effectiveness and legality. Not looking to protect myself from vicious dogs on my daily walk but from potential home invasion. I have a large property that is somewhat secure but know that there are some potential weak points. No property can be 100% secure. I have 3 dogs that I am sure will give me some sort of advance notice of an intrusion, however I also leave a patio door a little ajar at night for them to come and go to the outside for bathroom trips. I am somewhat confident in the safety here in lower SAT but maybe times are changing. I do keep a butcher knife in a bedside nightstand drawer but thinking of upgrading. Would like to hear other's recommendations on the best devises and where to buy. This would only be used as a final lifesaving solution. Gracias    

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 I have a large canister of pepper spray I brought down for   "what if "  and if it comes down to a life threatening situation I'm not going to give a damn about legality. I think guns are even allowed for at home protection but the complications of dealing with a dead intruder versus one with burnt eyes are night and day. 

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I think it’s always wise to have a plan in the event of an emergency.  Being prepared helps the instincts to kick in when the adrenaline starts rushing.  I keep the car alarm and garage door opener by the bed, my neighbors know if my car alarm is going off and my garage door is open that means trouble.  I also have some spray at the ready.  Dogs are a great warning system, most of us can tell when their bark changes to alert and danger.  I can tell when the neighborhood dogs are alerting to something “unknown” in the neighborhood.  In SAT, we also have the benefit of our watchful neighbors that all seem to look out for one another.  

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IMO, pepper spray won't work in a home invasion. Why? They usually come armed in some way. You don't bring pepper spray to a gunfight. There are usually more than one person. Once they are in your house, your best protection is compliance.

What gives you the best protection are dogs that will bark if there is/are strangers at your house (outside). Light and noise.

Home invaders thrive on darkness and silence. Get a police type horn that will work by remote. When that goes off, the baddies, will run.

These are tried and true methods. The poster above and the garage door opening, is spot on.

 

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14 hours ago, gringohombre said:

There were varying comments about effectiveness and legality.

First: I don't know about the legality of owning tasers in Mexico. But we have several. We bought them because our dog was attacked too many times by aggressive dogs. We carry them on dog walks, and "fired" them more times than I wish was necessary. Never had to taser a dog though, the sound and sparks alone are great deterrents against dogs. One thing to keep in mind these are "contact" self-defense tools, unlike tasers used by cops, meaning the prongs must touch the attacker. Would this be practical during burglary? I don't know, and I hope we won't ever have to test. You can buy them as fortified flashlights (flashlight / taser combination). The cost is 200-250 pesos, and they are sold openly in markets. We bought them in Mexico DF.

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Eric Blair is correct.  What you need is a lot of noise.  Either a siren or horn which makes a lot of it.  This will make the intruders uneasy and almost all of them will run away.  As for the taser or stun gun, you don't bring them to a gun or knife fight, you will get hurt.  Best is a baseball bat if they aren't armed, if they are its best to comply with their demands.  I recently went thru a carjacking attempt in Texarkana, Texas but they ran off when I emerged with a  38 in my hand. They were lucky.

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On 12/14/2021 at 8:11 PM, gringohombre said:

I searched and reread a thread here about 4 years ago. There were varying comments about effectiveness and legality. Not looking to protect myself from vicious dogs on my daily walk but from potential home invasion. I have a large property that is somewhat secure but know that there are some potential weak points. No property can be 100% secure. I have 3 dogs that I am sure will give me some sort of advance notice of an intrusion, however I also leave a patio door a little ajar at night for them to come and go to the outside for bathroom trips. I am somewhat confident in the safety here in lower SAT but maybe times are changing. I do keep a butcher knife in a bedside nightstand drawer but thinking of upgrading. Would like to hear other's recommendations on the best devises and where to buy. This would only be used as a final lifesaving solution. Gracias    

Crazy to leave your door ajar. Just let the dogs sleep outside. My dogs loved sleeping utside in their cozy doghouse.  They could pee and drink whenever they needed to and chck out any hight visitors. Beef up your weak spots.

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22 minutes ago, cedros said:

Crazy to leave your door ajar. Just let the dogs sleep outside. Beef up ypur weak spots.

Actually, why do the dogs need to go out at night? I have had dogs my entire life and nobody in my family ever felt the need to leave any doors ajar overnight. During the winter months the cold and snow would be a great deterrent, not to mention any "critters" and mosquitoes which might enter the rest of the year. Keep your doors closed and locked.

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I've lived in Ajijic for 13  years and the only problem I've had was a doped up guy who went through the neighborhood setting fires on a New Years eve about 5 years ago.  Fortunately, no damage was done to our house.  (We got home in time from dinner).  We figured out how he got in and promptly installed bars in that space.  We also have a good neighborhood watch.  Since we don't have a yard, we don't have a dog.  I think some folks on here are getting a little extreme in their readiness for trouble.  Either that, or we have a very problem-free mixed Mexican/Gringo neighborhood here in Ajijic Centro.

I also agree with Cedros about leaving the door ajar for the dogs.  It also leaves it ajar for a potential problem.

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4 hours ago, gringal said:

I've lived in Ajijic for 13  years and the only problem I've had was a doped up guy who went through the neighborhood setting fires on a New Years eve about 5 years ago.  Fortunately, no damage was done to our house.  (We got home in time from dinner).  We figured out how he got in and promptly installed bars in that space.  We also have a good neighborhood watch.  Since we don't have a yard, we don't have a dog.  I think some folks on here are getting a little extreme in their readiness for trouble.  Either that, or we have a very problem-free mixed Mexican/Gringo neighborhood here in Ajijic Centro.

I also agree with Cedros about leaving the door ajar for the dogs.  It also leaves it ajar for a potential problem.

I live in Puerto Vallarta where there is no crime--the big money here does not allow it----HA--My biggest gripe here is barking dogs from irresponsible owners--These people have top security electric fencing, alarms,iron doors,etc. The Mexican population is tone deaf to nuisance barking dogs--My solution is to plug up--Problem solved---HA.--My dog lives in the house; so he has no reason to bark--Bottom line is " one must be responsible with their animal--

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Folks the sparker things are NOT Tasers.   A taser ejects a small string and with hooks on the end and supplies a current.   I know because I was stupid enough to volunteer to be tased once.   These are not legal.   The noise making (sound of sparks) are legal but require contact to work other than the noise. Unit gets you too close to the dogs mouth which I try to avoid.  Lets get our terms correct to avoid confusion. People at Ajijic wednesday market near the key maker sell these legal  sparking units.  Carried one for years and useful on most dogs but the most aggressive dogs it had no effect.  Now I carry a rock like the mexicans it works much better on the aggressive dogs.

 

 

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With respect to home invation, my best protection, IMO, is my house itself.

I use to live in Vista del Lago at the top street. This was like a big sign saying, "I have money and valuable things inside."

Now I live in Chapala Haciendas, and anyone looking at my house wouldn't think there was anything worth stealing.

Ditto on my car. Mechanically it's perfect, but from the outside, it is a "junker." No one is going to think I have much worth stealing, though a couple of years ago, in the WM parking lot, someone did steal the "computer" that is under the hood. Must have needed it for their car.

Best of health to all.

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22 hours ago, rafterbr said:

Eric Blair is correct.  What you need is a lot of noise.  Either a siren or horn which makes a lot of it.  This will make the intruders uneasy and almost all of them will run away.  As for the taser or stun gun, you don't bring them to a gun or knife fight, you will get hurt.  Best is a baseball bat if they aren't armed, if they are its best to comply with their demands.  I recently went thru a carjacking attempt in Texarkana, Texas but they ran off when I emerged with a  38 in my hand. They were lucky.

I love that one of the unique qualities of Texas is the ability to be armed.

I know they have online some very real looking replica guns. I wonder if they are legal here. Pulling one of them ount if needed, could be helpful. Usually in that kind of situation, the bad guys will back off (unless they also have a gun)

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I've been told that before the below link alowing women to use them; that having one with a built in flashlight was a grey area.

 

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/morelos-legalizes-use-of-various-defensive-weapons-by-women/

 

"There are several different types of electroshock weapons. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, stun guns and TASERs refer to two different devices. Stun guns administer an electric shock through direct contact, whereas a TASER device administers the shock through thin flexible wires connected to two probes that are fired into the target.[1][2]"

From:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroshock_weapon

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What was 10 years ago or up to now has no bearing on tomorrow. Times are changing. AMLO had hundreds of migrants bussed throughout the States of Mexico. These are hungry desperate people. An increase in crime has been following in their wake. I have seen them begging on the carretera. 

I have recently secured the doors and windows. The lights in the yard are on all night. My dogs sleep with me upstairs and I have often awoke to see Abby wide awake watching and listening.  If we nap during the day she is sound asleep and Precious is on watch duty. Smart dogs.

For my protection and theirs, I have a new very sharp machete upstairs and down along with a can of scorpion spray. I'm afraid someone coming in will have his own machete and rather than look like the Pirates of the Caribbean, I hope to blind him with the spray. 

I understand the mindset to ignore the troubles in the world today and live the carefree life we have enjoyed but hungry desperate people will do things they may not have thought they would ever do and troubles North and South of Mexico will follow us here. Just like Covid. 

 

 

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As to legality of owners iscats is correct.   As to legality of weapon - anything used as a weapon is a weapon wether or not so designed so it allcomes down to use of force.  If the force u use is considered excessive by a court are headed for trouble.   Most teachers of weaponry would advise your first statement to police to be “i was in fear for my life”.

while I love a baseball bat as a weapon it can be a little heavy and unwieldy for some.   I keep an almost meter of 1 1/2 “ bamboo.   If u chose that Id suggest picking up a book on arnis or escrima and practicing with it ona regular basis.  If you think a gun best Id use a shotgun, less likely to miss.

i have seen people, or heard thereof,  spray themselves with hornet spray or pepper spray.  People not trained tend not to be able to use weapons effectively in a stressful emergency such as a home invasion.

Bottom line is there are no absolute clear cut answers in my opinion.

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