Other than buying cameras and a handgun?
Seconded. No one wants to fight when face to face with a shotgun.
If you absolutely have to fire yes, but the true advantage is not having to fire it in the first place.
Neither of these are good ideas. The whole point of putting up cameras is so that anyone looking for cameras will see them. More than that, you want cameras that look like a security company put them up, not like you were afeared so you got an online peepshow off Amazon Prime. Even then it may not matter much; I've got two shots of perps walking right by my cameras, staring into the lenses, and then breaking into cars in the parking lot anyway. However, the cops like 'em. I've had them come and ask me for footage of the Subway across the street. "Sure, officer - I've got approximately thirteen pixels that just might be your guy. Where shall I email them?"
Fair. Makes the above ideas amount to the effectiveness of a 'Beware of Dog' sign. Cameras would be the lesser expense compared to a dog (edit: long term).The whole point of putting up cameras is so that anyone looking for cameras will see them. More than that, you want cameras that look like a security company put them up, not like you were afeared so you got an online peepshow off Amazon Prime.
High, difficult-to-access places provide really shitty shots of people's faces. The amount of make-believe around security cameras is discouraging. Let's say I've got a Big Obvious Camera attached, oh, to my mailbox using bristle blocks and duct tape. It's got a frail, frayed CAT5 wire coming out the back with a "CUT ME HERE" yellow ribbon tied around it. Attached to the ribbon is a shiny new pair of diagonal cutters. Sure - someone could walk up and snip the wire. But to do so they need to get their face in the camera, which is recording at at least 15Hz, at least 720P, undoubtedly to the cloud, and triggering motion alarms all the while. You don't even need to know this in advance. "CLIP WIRE FOR UNTOLD RICHES" might very well attract plenty of nuisance thieves but each and every one of them is going to stare that camera in the eye when they're within ten feet and go "oh shit they have a really good picture of my face." Do it at night? The far red sideband waste coming off the IR emitters is sitting there glowing like a racoon staring at you. Every other Amazon driver who comes to this house gives me a great 4K shot of their face and the camera's a good fifteen feet from the door. Getting a big dog is a lifestyle change. it also won't guarantee that the dog will do anything when there's a break-in. A dog that gets along well with people is a pussy and pussies tend to hide in the bedroom and bark until the bad man goes away. Try this some time: next time a dog rips out of someone's house to bark at you while you're out for a walk, bark back. Stare them down. Get up against the fence. When they stop barking, you stop barking. nine times out of ten that dog will curl its tail between its legs and slink off growling to let you know that it's got its eye on you but you're free to do whatever the fuck you want. Dogs that don't? Yeah, those ones will keep your house safe. Also eat children. Only dog I ever lost that discussion with was named Danzig. Danzig was part pit bull, part rottweiler. About eighteen months after I decided Danzig was legitimately scary, Danzig broke out and ate the ten-month-old baby next door. Legit chewed her up and shit her out. Dogs like Danzig shouldn't be bought by people who think "anything that barks" will scare off some random junkie bent on B&E.Cameras are a good call, make sure you get good outdoor rated cameras, install them in high, difficult to access places and make sure all cords lead inside and aren't accessible.
Getting a big dog is also a good idea.
So... did you get broken into or did someone actually force their way in while you were there to rob you? And aren't you moving? Rings are a stupid idea. Rings get stolen every day and sold on Craigslist. They telegraph "I have something worth stealing but haven't really thought this through." Effective physical security involves permanently-installed cameras that are obvious and lights on motion sensors that come on when people loiter. When legit recidivist criminals are interviewed about security measures, the only thing that will cause them to avoid a place is cameras. Idiots who are one-and-done? They're too stupid to notice cameras because they're too stupid to think this through. Most crimes are crimes of opportunity. We can take this off-line. I have two systems with about 20 cameras and have interacted with the police four or five times by now. Placement matters, as does resolution. But again, deterrence only works on those that can be deterred.
Someone forced his way into my home while I was there. He ran when I confronted him and gave chase. I'm assuming he thought the house was empty because there wasn't a car in the driveway. We were gonna buy the house from the landlord up until the septic blew and now this. Just looked at a new place actually and I'm trying to put an offer down next week.
Okay. that sucks. I won't diminish that. You have every reason to be agitated. -BUT- - You have no reason to presume this was about you. It sounds like a crime of opportunity. - You have no reason to presume any deterrent would help. You're talking about a criminal who doesn't have the presence of mind to knock on the door before kicking it down. - You have no reason to presume it's likely to happen again. Less, in fact: this one guy has already come to your house and left less than empty-handed. If he has even the animal instincts of a squirrel he's going to take his hunting elsewhere. - You have no reason to secure this domicile going forward as you are outtie. I'd chalk it up to bad experience, acknowledge that you learned something about deadbolts and door frames, and contemplate your physical security for the next spot. Again, you got my number. A home invasion, by the way, is someone threatening you with bodily harm within your home in order to take your valuables. It's a mugging but within your domicile. What you did was interrupt a burglary. Burglars and home invaders are psychologically very different people. Don't get me wrong - it sucks to be burgled, particularly if you're there. But a home invader would not have run.