Neighborhood Security After SHTF

Here’s the scenario: The shite has hit the fan. Societal collapse has brought on pockets of social strife and chaos. Lots of people have become hungry, thirsty, desperate, and panicked. Many of the systems of distribution and infrastructure have broken down to varying extents. The government has not been there to help.

Many people are just trying to survive. Some are doing things they’ve never thought they would do before – to get what they need…

The intent here is to get you thinking about how you will deal with your own security in a post-collapse world.

Personal Security

You will find the following statement to be pretty accurate. And that is, after societal collapse, your world will become quite local. And as such, before any neighborhood can achieve a level of general security, it needs to start with the individual. A neighborhood after all, is made up of individuals living in their homes.

The thing is, there’s all kinds of people. However one thing will be common, and that is each will be concerned about their own safety and personal security. It’s our survival instinct.

Suddenly, having a firearm and ammunition becomes very important. And of course, the proficiency of its use. Even the leftists will become believers. Given the hypothetical scenario described above, it will be a no-brainer to ‘carry’.

A few thoughts include good old common sense, the ability of critical thinking, the skill of situational awareness, good physical health, and tactical training or abilities.

Home Security

Before a neighborhood can achieve a level of general security, the homes contained within must be secure. More importantly, those who live there have to be ‘on board’ with the notion of a wider participation for the benefit of all.

It starts with one’s own home and its perimeter. How’s your home security? How easy or difficult would it be for an intrusion? Not only that, but how would you know if and when someone intrudes onto your property outside? Are there any deterrents in place to slow or prevent this?

There are technological systems that one could employ in this regard, but ‘what if’ there’s no electricity and you don’t have a stand-alone alternative energy system to provide power? Consider having additional mechanisms in place that don’t rely on the grid.

Bear in mind that ‘keeping watch’ or ‘patrols’ (for larger properties) take their toll on manpower (and sleep). Unless you have enough members in the household to rotate shifts, this becomes nearly impossible.

One key principle to home security is deterrence. You are trying to avoid a confrontation. What are the things that you can do with your home and property to lessen the likelihood of ‘looking like’ a target?

Neighborhood Security

The reason that neighborhood security would be so important (if achievable) in a post-shtf world, is the fact that there is power in numbers. No man is an island. Eventually (possibly) in such a world, there will be forces that may try to ‘take’. To stop or deter them, you may need the cooperation and inclusion of others.

To achieve neighborhood security, the neighborhood needs ‘enough’ of the resident homes and individuals to participate in an overall security plan. The level of planning might vary from basic neighborhood watch all the way to intricate methods of funneling, perimeter defense, patrols, tactical positioning, communications, and more…

The more who participate, the more effective the overall security.

A problem I foresee though is the fact that most people are not prepared, and therefore within a given neighborhood most people may simply be up the creek without a paddle with the rest of them – making it difficult to organize if they’re part of the overall problem. This will vary, and no doubt there are plenty of communities who are more adept, adaptable, and prepared than others – those (for example) who already live a lifestyle (rural?) with tendencies toward more self-sufficiency than urban or heavily populated suburban areas.

Communication will be essential. Handheld 2-way radios! Perhaps someone will have a base station too.

Conclusion

Much of course will depend on where you live, the level of descent into chaos, your proximity to population density, and the preparations and mindset of the people who live near you.

When the rule of law breaks down and when the police are not there to come to your aid, you are left with your own self. Your security will become your responsibility. Your layers of perceived security will be stripped away while your personal safety will rest entirely on your own shoulders. It all starts with YOU.

A neighborhood taking responsibility to police their own community will be essential for bettering the odds of overall survival in a collapsed chaotic society. Will it be possible? For most, probably not. But for some, perhaps yes.

I’m curious to get your input and opinion about neighborhood security after the SHTF (in the context of major societal collapse – not just a local event). While it all starts with the individual and one’s own home and property, how might you take it to the next level with one’s own neighborhood?