House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed

[Silound]

Sounds like you've covered all the basics, but I can offer a few more for you. Don't just go with a perimeter alarm. Make sure your system supports motion detector coverage, and use it on the portion of the house that's not occupied at night.

Get some big floodlights installed on the major corners or covered areas of your house, and equip them with motion detectors for nighttime. There's a lot to say about deterrence when the whole area is lit like daytime.

Guns are fine, but take a moment to sit down with your GF and discuss the plan of action for if and when. Know what you both will do the instant you discover intruders in your home. Personally, while I have Castle Doctrine backing me in LA, I would rather not try to take on an armed intruder unless I absolutely had an advantage. Know what your immediate escape routes and planned meeting points are to get you away in case the intruder(s) have guns themselves. To twist Tom's words around a bit, I'd rather run from a few guns than be buried by many friends.

Also, contact an electrician, you can see about getting your major interior lights wired to a master switch in the bedroom (or to the alarm itself in some cases). Immediate lighting in the house is another good deterrent for intruders. Most don't want to be seen clearly. A good home DVR never hurts, and it doesn't take an expensive one to provide a good picture of what happens in the event of a break-in (and what things are taken).