My wife and I are newlyweds and moved to Los Angeles for work. We are living in a downtown apartment. We don’t have a security guard or anything like that. Do you have any security advice for apartments?

-From Ryan L.

Answer: One of the first things I would do is ask your landlord if you can change the locks.

Also, a common way criminals access apartments is through a sliding door, so if you have one make sure it’s always locked and put a piece of wood or something in the door track so it can’t be opened.

Finally, definitely get a security system for your apartment. Simplisafe is a popular company and they make it super easy to install.

 

After hurricane Ian I purchased a few generators that all run on propane. Is there anything I should be concerned about when stockpiling a large amount of propane? Will it explode if it gets hot?

-From Jason M.

Answer: You can store propane in virtually any temperature, so don’t worry about it exploding if it gets hot. I keep my propane in a shed in my backyard.

Just don’t store it in your house and you’ll be good to go.

 

I inherited a S&W .38 special revolver from my grandfather. I thought about carrying it for self-defense but was wondering if a .38 would be enough to stop an attacker?

-From Rhonda L.

Answer: The .38 round is a great round for self-defense. But, the smaller caliber isn’t the problem with a .38 revolver. These guns are easy to conceal, but are very difficult to shoot if you don’t practice often.

I would definitely recommend spending some time at the gun range before you carry this gun. Some shooters feel like a small .38 caliber revolver is like a firecracker going off in your hand.

 

Each week I take my kids to a local park. Lately, there has been a stranger at the park that doesn’t have children and seems to be watching my kids. It looks like he might even be taking pictures with his phone. Should I do anything about this?

-From Kelly T.

Answer: I would confront the guy and ask him what he’s doing. (Not everyone should do this, but I would).

Or call the cops and advise them that there is a suspicious person who is taking pictures of young children.

Another thing is to ask the police if it is possible to trespass the person from the park. It’s not your property but the city might be able to ban people for certain reasons.

You should hang onto any pictures you took of the guy and provide them to police in the hopes they can build a case against the guy if it comes to that.

 

I am buying a handgun from a person who lives in another state. I personally know the person selling the gun so it’s not a stranger or some internet scam. Is it legal for me to buy this gun even if the person is a private seller and not a gun dealer?

-From Lowell R.

Answer: If you and the seller live in different states, they cannot ship the firearm directly to you. This is a violation of federal law and if the firearm is discovered it would be a big deal.

The best thing to do is for the seller to go to a local FFL dealer and have them ship the firearm to an FFL dealer in your state. Basically, the two gun stores would do the transaction.

Any reputable gun store in their area should be able to do this. Gun stores typically charge $25 to $50 for this service, and in some states the buyer will have to pay sales tax.

 

I’m new to your training but wanted to let you know that the information you share has been so helpful! My question is, how would you escape duct tape if the bad guy put your hands behind your back?

-From Laynie T.

Answer: Most criminals will duct tape you in the front. The reason they do this is because they want to lead you around so you are under their control.

You can’t move very fast when your hands are behind you. You are more likely to fall and slow the criminal down.

Also, if they duct tape your hands behind your back it takes more time. You can’t get your hands very close together.

The criminal would have a hard time getting the tape tight around your wrists and in this case it’s easy to just lift your hands out of the tape.

Have a family member tape your hands behind your back. You will see how easy it is to escape.