I would suggest fences, and dogs. I have never been broke into, my neighbors had. I have always had dogs, he had none. It is no guarantee, but criminals like the easiest target. We did have a numpty try to get in a shed once, bad idea, he took a trip to the hospital.

As far as OC it is frowned on in Florida, and illegal off your property. In NC it is legal, and my wife, and I do it whenever we step outside the house, or where we go. We do not show off though, and neighbors are kewl. OC will deter a home invasion, again criminals do not like citizens with guns, unless they are stealing them.

That may explain the corrections officer advice. Florida did a study on inmates, and a large percentage stated they feared armed citizens. If they think you are home, they will stay away. If they know you are gone, they may try, as long as there is no danger of taking a trip to the hospital, or worse.

Criminals look for the soft target, easy job. If a person is easy, and they have something to steal, criminals will target you. Does not matter if you have guns or not. Which gets back to fences, and dogs. Just make sure there is more than one dog, and they are capable of the job. One dog is easy to defeat, more than one is a tad tricky.

I would suggest a donkey, but ya need several acres to keep them. They are an extremely good watch animal. They bay if something is wrong, and they kick with enough force to break bones.