In 2025, Los Angeles film executive Robin Kaye and his wife were killed in their home after a break-in. Weeks earlier, they’d been warned by police about a string of burglaries in their area. Their home had cameras, alarms, and a gated entrance. On paper, it looked secure. In reality, it wasn’t.

The intruder entered through an unlocked sliding-glass door while the alarm system was turned off. Earlier that day, police had responded twice to reports of someone jumping the fence but found no visible signs of forced entry and left. Hours later, the couple were dead.

It wasn’t the absence of security that failed them, it was the absence of testing, discipline, and follow-through. The defences existed, but they weren’t used as intended. Technology can only perform when people do. When vigilance fades, even advanced systems become decorative, and predictability turns protection into routine.

This isn’t just a Los Angeles problem. In New Zealand, over 66,000 break-ins were recorded last year, three-quarters targeting residential homes. Rising economic strain and social frustration are fuelling resentment, with one in seven New Zealanders now believing violence may be necessary to “get the country back on track.” In this environment, visibility, privilege, or executive status can turn homes into targets.

A home environment presents a unique tactical problem: it blends private comfort with public exposure. Security only works when it is tested, challenged, and rehearsed under real conditions. A plan that hasn’t been validated through drills or independent review is a liability, not a safeguard.

Kaye’s case highlights the cost of inaction. The systems existed, the warnings were given, but the follow-through was missing. This isn’t theory, it’s the product of practical, on-the-ground expertise from my experiences in protecting people, assets, and reputations.

Home should be a place of safety, but safety isn’t static. It’s built through continuous realism, not one-time investment. If you’re responsible for your family’s protection, don’t assume security exists because technology is present. Test it. Audit it. Rehearse it.

Complacency isn’t just a risk—it’s an open invitation. Ignore the signs, and comfort becomes exposure.

By Henry Tofilau

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