Nowadays, reports of burglaries spread through the news like viruses. Perhaps they’re the result of living in desperate times, or perhaps they’re due to old-fashioned greed, but regardless of why these despicable acts take place, they reveal something critical about the world: the threat of criminal violence is very real, even in our own homes.

You need to feel safe at home, and at DefendWell.com, we sell protection in just about every medium. Avoiding encounters with burglars is ideal, and our wide selection of alarms will have them running scared before they have a chance to harm you or your loved ones. If you do come face to face with an intruder, however, it helps to have some kind of non-lethal weapon on hand, such as a stun gun or pepper spray. This way, you’ll be able to subdue him or her and call for help. You may also be interested in some of our instructional fighting DVDs, the lessons of which can be useful in the event that no weapons are available.

Don’t allow yourself to become the victim in these scenarios. Instead, keep trespassers at bay by shopping at DefendWell.com.

Springtime is here, so it’s important to start thinking about your safety as you enjoy the great outdoors again after the long winter chill. As you begin to plan your hiking trips, jogging route, or your new spot to enjoy Frisbee, be sure to take into account your own safety. An incident can occur at any time and you need to be prepared to defend yourself should you have to.

When walking or jogging alone in a park or though your neighborhood, try to arm yourself with a discreet protective device, like Pepper Spray, as an effective deterrent. Your attacker will remained stunned as you spray a powerful pepper mixture into his face, rendering him unable to continue pursuit. Once you’ve got him subdued, look for help at the first turn.

If you choose to hike, fish, or camp, think about equipping yourself with something that’s a bit more powerful. As a defense item, tasers and stun guns may prove to be the best method for stopping an attack in the great outdoors. Stash one in your pocket or back pack as an effective protection device.

In your neighborhood, do you feel safe? Thanks to the University of West Florida, women just like you can start feeling more secure walking home, on campus, or just about anywhere.

Women can learn realistic self-defense tactics and hands-on defense training at the University of West Florida’s next Rape Aggression Defense course beginning Feb. 28.Classes, taught by nationally certified instructors, educate women on rape awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, and teach basic self-defense techniques and training – an essential for a woman living in the West Florida region.

Many classes like these have sprung up across the nation in community centers and college campuses alike. Not only are women receiving self defense training, but some programs are now offering Self Defense Product Training where students can become educated on the proper protocol for using items like Pepper Spray. Call your local community center to find out what kinds of programs exist in your area.

The first two of the four-session classes will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 28 and March 1 at UWF. The cost is $15. To enroll or for more information, call Officer Wendy Boles at 474-3274.

The latest Census Bureau figures show 4.5% of the homes and 16.6% of the rental apartments and condos in Florida are vacant, among the highest rates in the nation. In south Florida alone, specifically Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, 3.6% of the homes are vacant, while 13.1% of the rental apartments sit empty. This high rate of vacancy has been found to be connected to a higher rate of burglary, especially in conjunction with the chaotic economy. We already now why burglars are searching for easy targets. Now we know where they are looking.

The foreclosures and empty homes can be a draw for burglars and thugs, who view the empty houses and condos as easy targets for stealing items like appliances, left behind personal property, glass, copper piping, or other materials that could be sold. The foreclosed properties are an issue for local law enforcement agencies also.

“It’s definitely a problem that we’ve seen and that we have to deal with. We did see an increase in homes that are foreclosed become targeted,” Sgt. Tom Gendreau with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said in an interview with a Florida media station.

Don’t let your neighborhood become a target for criminal activity. Start protecting yourself and your home with Self-Defense Products found at DefendWell.com. From Pepper Spray to safes, stun guns and focus training, DefendWell.com is here to help Florida homeowners like you protect their livelihood and send a clear message to burglars in your community: this behavior will not be tolerated.

In recent article featured in the Kenyon College campus newspaper, students voiced their take on a recent incident involving students and campus safety officers. The staff editorial reports:

“Safety officers are employed to protect students from the harm of outsiders, other students and the effects of substance abuse, but sometimes, it is the students who cause harm, and in these cases, our Safety officers deserve the right to defend themselves. Last year, when students attacked Safety officers, the officers should have had the option of using pepper spray to protect themselves. We are not definitively asserting that the officers should have used pepper spray in those situations, or even that they would have, but we believe that they deserved the right to decide, in that instance, how to defend themselves.”

With campus incidents on the rise, it’s important for security and safety professionals to recognize and understand the risks that are associated with protecting those they serve. Safety is a dangerous job – but someone has to do it. For the men and women in the security and law enforcement industries, DefendWell.com is here to provide you with Self Defense Products like Pepper Spray to increase on-the-job safety. In addition, DefendWell.com is proud to support those who put their lives and safety on the line every day to protect the rights that we hold so dear. Do something for your campus or community. Support law enforcement self defense tactics.

If you’ve ever walked alone, you know feelings of vulnerability can creep up on you very fast, sometimes making you too nervous to turn a corner. Don’t get me wrong, these feelings are usually exaggerated; however, this doesn’t mean you should walk around unprotected. The problem is, most people learn this lesson only after they’ve been assaulted or robbed.

To prevent you from becoming a victim, self-defense items can be your first and, in many cases, only line of defense against an unexpected attacker. If the attacker is unaware that you have a weapon, you have a better chance to get away safely. This is the edge you could use to overcome a dangerous situation.

• Stun Guns/Tasers – These are very effective self-defense weapons that can easily be concealed in a purse or pocket. But if you really want to catch an attacker by surprise, choose a stun gun disguised as a Cell Phone. An attacker will assume you are unaware of their presence giving you the opportunity to catch them off guard.

• Pepper Spray/Mace – These canisters are very easy to conceal in a purse or on a Keychain. But if you need something more discreet, pepper sprays disguised as something innocent, like Lipstick, a Pen, or a Ring, are also available. These will leave your attacker rolling on the ground in pain, not knowing what hit them.

The secret to being safe isn’t always to put up a strong front. If you’re aware of your surroundings and prepared, a potential attacker will be unaware that they are about to receive a very painful surprise.