Cornflower, I too am often angered by the difficulty in apprehending these violent thugs- especially those that target people in their own homes. Our home is meant to be somewhere safe we can retreat to.

However, I would hate to see Australia go the way the US is- where gun laws are too liberal and guns are too easy to obtain.

If many people in their homes were armed with guns, then this would be the weapon of choice they would use if they found someone breaking into their home.

Should people who are stealing from homes be shot dead on sight?
What if they weren't even armed?
Shoot first and ask questions later?
What if it was a relative climbing in through a window after locking themselves out?
How does the home owner decide in one split second if this person is a threat to them or not?

Having said that, I don't know what the answer to home invasion is. Maybe concentrating on effective home security in the first place.

There are two issues here, the first being the solicitating of monies which I experienced last week on the city to Belgrave line by two young people a woman and a man working in tandem and the second being the drop off in Transit Police controlling bad behaviours on our rail system. We can add racial hatred which continues to dog our society and once again requires increased Police intervention. I can fully understand the passive intervention by individuals against this unruly behaviour.I can fully understand also your frustrations largely created by a State Government that plays lip service towards the protection of its people,on our Transport system. Of all the actions you are recommending I would be sending a strong message to Mr.Brumby, calling for urgent action.Then again how many of our politicians actually travel on our trams, trains and buses. Very few I would suggest.

suzeonline,

I was not talking about the method of self-defence. That is another matter entirely.

Somewhere in recent history we have lost our fundamental right to defend ourselves and those precious to us. I can only assume that the rights of criminals have trumped the rights of their victims and society. This article excerpt is from the UK but it would have been no different anywhere in Australia, except maybe NSW:

'TV star Myleene Klass 'waved knife in self defence' By Huw Borland, Sky News From: NewsCore January 10, 2010 7:22PM

A UK TV star warned over waving a knife at teenagers says she acted in self defence.

Myleene Klass, a TV presenter and model, was warned by police after she waved a knife at teenagers who were intruding in her garden in Hertfordshire after midnight local time on Friday, Sky News reported.

She was in her kitchen upstairs with her daughter when she spotted people peering into her window, before grabbing the knife and banging on the windows, scaring the trespassers away.

Hertfordshire Police officers warned Klass she should not have used a knife to scare off the teens because carrying an "offensive weapon" - even in her own home - was illegal.

Klass told Sky News in a statement: "My family are totally fine and I thank the police for being so re-assuring and comforting.

"However, I was left shocked and surprised to be told that a private individual in the privacy of their own home runs the risk of committing a criminal offence if, out of fear for their own safety and their loved ones, they grab something with which they could defend themselves if an intruder enters their home."'