I thought I'd start a thread about making your street/neighborhood more secure by limiting access etc. The downsides would definitely include making it very difficult for emergency vehicles and fire engines to get to you in case of great need. So, you would have to balance those considerations with the need for increased security. With a good lay out of your neighborhood AO in mind, and without painting yourself into a corner:
1. Construct in advance movable spike/nail strips.
2. Drive metal posts or re-bar into the asphalt at a 45* angle toward the point of entry.
3. Park/tow derelict vehicles to create roadblocks or choke points.
4. Dig up and trench the pavement.
5. Along with trenches, create berms or sandbag strong points.
6. Locate in advance concrete barriers that you could haul or drag to create barriers/barricades.
7. Locate in advance large trash bins that you could tow into place. Fill them in place with dirt, bricks, debris, etc
8. Large roll off trash bins would make great barriers when filled with dirt, etc.
9. Barbed wire where available/feasible.
10. Spider holes in strategic locations.
11. Concealed OPs.
12. Watch tower.
13. Organize a neighborhood watch/militia/MAG.

Please add, contribute, question, criticize, elaborate.

The only issue I can see with most of the above measures is it makes it appear that someone has gone to the trouble to block off a street...then the questions begin - what is so valuable that they did X, or what is beyond Y...

May cause more problems than it solves. Just MHO :)

tech wrote:The only issue I can see with most of the above measures is it makes it appear that someone has gone to the trouble to block off a street...then the questions begin - what is so valuable that they did X, or what is beyond Y...

May cause more problems than it solves. Just MHO :)

I had thought about that, and you make a very good point. It's a bit like open carrying. It might attract attention that you would not otherwise get. I was thinking in terms of layers of access denial, starting with the least visible. For instance, the spike strips could be made in advance, but deployed at need. The derilict cars would actually decrease your 'look here' profile.

before you put up the barriers do you trust everyone behind it ?????

Again it depends on the degree of collapse and it sounds as though doc is talking about total collapse, so the need for Fire and emergency vehicle route most likely won't be needed.
1. Construct nail strips, use a 4" ring shank barn spike helps to use a bench grinder and sharpen them up, ring shanks won't push back through your lumber as easy, use 1x6 or 1x8 lumber sets closer to the ground and won't be seen as easy also lighter than 2x4s or 2x6s and won't flip over as easy when ran over.
2. Drive re-bar into the asphalt this is a great idea, you will need a good hammer drill and concrete bit the size of your re-bar, bore through the asphalt and drive the re-bar into the ground 12"or 14", I'd use 5/8 re-bar, once again use a hand grinder and sharpen them up after you drive them in the ground, If your drilling in concrete and not asphalt don't even think about boring all the way through it 6" to 8" will be good in concrete. Asphalt drills much easier than concrete.
3. Great idea, no comment.
4. Dig trench in pavement Don't try using a shovel
5. Berms and sandbag strong points, I have used 4gal pails as forms filled with concrete and set 3/8 re-bar bent in a U shape in wet concrete for a handle, they move pretty easy and you can use the 4gal pail over and over. they stop bullets allot better to.
6. Great idea, no comment.
7. Very good idea better than 6
8.^
9. Barbed wire, use the old tin can, string and rock trick it works
10. Spider holes, don't use spiders, snakes work much better.
11. Agreed
12. Agreed
13.Organize neighborhood watch, people will be so much easier to get along with if the SHTF

Don't Bother with Barbed Wire - Go with Razor Wire. MUCH Nastier to deal with.

Give some thought to denying easy access to your House Interior. I have removed the stairs that go from Ground Level to the First Landing (about Six Feet up) at the Back side of the House. Master Bedroom to have a sort-of Drawbridge arrangement that when in Stowed/Up position, functions as a Protective Grille for the Outside Door There (Removed the Three-Foot steps up to that Door Also).

Now Fabbing "Battle Shutters" for all Ground Level Windows. 1 Inch Steel Tube, with a Sandwich of 3/4 Plywood that is Behind the 10Ga Steel Sheetmetal cover. Thinking of having Pull-pins to release the Shutters to Fall into place and Lock, but still be released from Inside for emergency exit ......

Do You Know EXACTLY how far it is to the entire perimeter of Your Property from each View Point?

I would agree razor wire is nastier, but barbed wire can be found most anywhere just make a real tangled up mess of it and it'll be a lot harder to get over.

1. Construct in advance movable spike/nail strips. Great idea, will be done.
2. Drive metal posts or re-bar into the asphalt at a 45* angle toward the point of entry. No asphalt...
3. Park/tow derelict vehicles to create roadblocks or choke points. No vehicles, so we'd use trees.
4. Dig up and trench the pavement. No pavement, but could be done easier with our dirt..however, with out something to block the sides, folks would just go around, like they do now when the road collapses.
5. Along with trenches, create berms or sandbag strong points. Again, cut down trees.
6. Locate in advance concrete barriers that you could haul or drag to create barriers/barricades. Trees
7. Locate in advance large trash bins that you could tow into place. Fill them in place with dirt, bricks, debris, etc None in the area
8. Large roll off trash bins would make great barriers when filled with dirt, etc. none in the area
9. Barbed wire where available/feasible. YES! Tractor Supply: $70 or less for 1400' of it.
10. Spider holes in strategic locations. YES!
11. Concealed OPs. Not real hard up here to conceal what you are doing.
12. Watch tower. Got several big trees for this.
13. Organize a neighborhood watch/militia/MAG. - not many neighbors and they do this automatically at the least sign of trouble.

HP I live in the country to I think doc talking about the city folks there going to need all the help they can get, but the best thing they could do, and the easiest is to make a very good friend out side the city, leave before the SHTF and if it don't hit then return home. HLs shutter idea is a great one the best I've seen, keep in mind that you can secure your windows and door so well that no one can get in, but if your home is standard construction some one with the smallest amount of knowledge of construction will just pass right through the wall, unless its brick or block, I'll still get in its going to take a little longer. What Doc is talking about doing for city folks is the right thing to be doing "STOP them before they get to your home" don't limit your mobility, you get cornered and your pretty much done, DON'T LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY... One thing that could be done is to have a fake force, depending on the size of the enemy, use your fake force to lead the enemy away from your main body, have your main body come up on the enemy's rear and the rest should be pretty clear, keep it simple when it come to organizing a movement.

A couple of things, first of all you are doing the most important thinking. Thinking and working on a plan to at least reduce things you think might be a threat to your long term survival. You'd be surprised how many don't even want to think along these lines much less get off their butt and do something about it!! Another thing, if you can't keep them out, which will be near impossible with a determined/motivated force, think about funneling them in a direction where you have the advantage. And one last thing, as far as the trench goes think about a culvert already under the road. Blow the culvert and stop just about anything and everything from crossing that spot. Good post and topic doc.