Staying Safe and Secure.

Almost half of all vehicle thefts are carried out by criminals who have gained access to the victim’s keys. This can either be by the keys being lifted from the owner’s person, e.g. pockets or picked, or handbags stolen, or from the owner’s home. I am constantly finding homes where keys are left on the inside of the front door or placed on a unit near to the front door. With telescopic magnets now easily available, these are very easy for thieves to get at and steal your car from outside your house.
I know it is very convenient to have your keys to hand as you leave the house, but please put them in a draw, or have some sort of barrier that hides them from any line of sight through your letterbox. (Not forgetting that a small mirror can be used to see anything to the sides.)
This does not just apply to the cars either; If a would-be burglar can see your keys on the inside of your door, he can get them and gain entry – thus making even the best of locks worthless. I have used this method several times when people have locked themselves out, I may be a professional locksmith but if I can do this then others can too! It is just too easy for those with a bit of knowledge or determination to do.

When you are out, there are some other ways to protect yourself. The busy shopping period is now in full swing and crowded shopping centres are a haven for light fingered pick-pockets and bag snatchers so here are some useful tips:

  • Put your wallet in a different pocket to your usual one – the different feel will hopefully alert you if someone tries to take it.
  • A karabiner style keyring that screws up, attached to your belt loop, will make keys harder to snatch. You can attach this via a cord to your keys in your pocket.
  • Only take what you really need in your handbag – address books and personal information should be left at home, if possible. If you lose your bag with keys and your home information you will have to change your locks.
  • Check wallets and purses for sensitive information. Is your credit card pin number hidden inside the same wallet as your card?
  • Keep cards and cash in separate pockets and wallets – this way if one gets stolen you still have the other for emergency use.
  • Look around and behind you before entering your pin into any terminal. Take the time to see if anyone is interested in what you are typing.
  • Keep a tight hold on the strap of your bag, or if you are carrying lots of bags of shopping, put your handbag into one of the shopping bags so it is not easy to snatch from your shoulder.
  • If you have a personal alarm, don’t carry it in the depths of your handbag. Make sure it is in easy quick reach so that you may get to it quickly should you need it.
  • Regularly check your pockets for your valuables. Pat your pockets, etc.
  • It’s great to look nice when you are out, but is it worth advertising your personal wealth and making you a target? Make regular trips to lock away your shopping in your car so you are not carrying too much. A laden, smart dressed shopper is a more obvious target.
  • If you leave stuff in your car, make sure it is hidden in the boot and that you have a parcel shelf (if you have an estate or hatch back).
  • Show your car is well protected by investing in bright coloured steering locks, etc that can be seen from a distance and stop the opportunist singling out your vehicle.
  • Be wary of groups milling around or anyone looking remotely suspicious.

There are also ways to look after your personal safety as the party season gets into full swing.

  • Don’t make yourself a target by going off on your own.
  • If you do have to go home alone, keep to lighted areas even if it means an extra ten minutes to your route.
  • Make a mental note of where to find places with more people. If you feel you are being followed, the nearest late night take away might be a safe haven until the danger has passed.
  • Always keep enough money back for a cab.
  • Only use licensed cabs.
  • If your friends have a tendency to go off with others and leave you alone then ditch them and find friends who are not so selfish as to leave you vulnerable.
  • If it’s your young adults that are out then try be understanding. Better you get out of bed at 4.00am to pick them up and know they are safe, than get up at 6.00am to find the police at your door.  
  • If for any reason you are being attacked, try and get an object like a car between you and your attacker, so you can see them and whichever way they go, you can just circle the car to get away.
  • In the worst case scenario, shout “Fire!” repeatedly. People are more likely to look out of their windows if there is a chance of personal danger.

 

There are obviously many more tips on staying safe personally but using common sense is your best ally. It would be great to live in a completely safe world but by using common sense, we become less of a target. Although no-one should ever blame themselves for what has happened to them, almost every victim can say: “If only I had not done this….” or “If only I had done…” and those sentences usually finish with something very basic and sensible.

Be safe this winter and thanks for reading

admin December 2, 2013

keys / locksmiths / Safety /

Burglar Alarm Systems

After my last blog, I have had a re-education about alarm systems: – Modern technology has advanced alarm systems a huge amount. In my previous blog I referred to my experiences of alarms going off and being ignored, however, I came across an article for locksmiths discussing burglar alarms and security. In the article they looked at wireless alarm systems that were linked up to mobile phones, so that, should an alarm go off at your property whilst you are not there, you are notified immediately, and you, or a key holder, can investigate what is going on and deal with it accordingly. The alarm system, therefore does not rely on attracting the attention of those in the immediate vicinity, but on notifying the people with the vested interest in the property.

Alarm systems can be a great deterrent to the opportunist thief and it is only apathy of some of the general public that ever lets them down.  Whilst I can recall instances of times no-one has taken notice of the alarm, I cannot say how many times a potential burglar has looked at a property and upon seeing it has an alarm fitted, decided to try elsewhere, perhaps for an easier target.

So, whether it be the correct locks, alarm, CCTV, bright lights or any of our other security products, you can now rely on AC Locksmiths to put up the best defences against unwanted intruders to your home. Consultations are entirely free (although the cuppa is always graciously accepted) and there is never any hard sell.

Please see our contacts page to book an appointment.

admin October 26, 2013

Burglar Alarms Systems /

Updating your home security

With the summer quickly coming to an end, it is now time to double check your locks. Wooden doors that have dried out and contracted in the warm weather will now start to expand again as the rains and damp cold arrive. UPVC doors are just as susceptible to weather changes, but help is at hand. When your locks start getting stiff, it usually takes just a little adjustment to get them back in great working order again and AC Locksmiths will always try to get your current locks working before saying you need new locks. But locks need to be looked at when they are starting to get stiff, especially UPVC door mechanisms, as they have very small moving gears and cogs inside which can be broken when too much force is required to lift the handles.

As the nights are drawing in, life is also becoming easier for the opportunist thief. In a street full of houses with lights on, is yours the only one in darkness signalling no one is home? It might use up electricity, but lights on timers are a good idea. Neighbourhood Watch and alarm stickers are great deterrents in the summer as they can be seen from the road, but in the dark, the intruder needs to be close to see them, by which point he may just try his luck anyway. A big, bright motion detector light at the front and back of your house (also useful when returning late an you don’t want to get your keys out until you are at your door) may be an ideal deterrent.

I would like to say a burglar alarm is a good idea, but recent events have really turned me away from this idea. I was asked to gain entry to a shop by an estate agent as the out-going tenant had kindly left with all keys (lesson to landlords-make sure you always have a set of spares). As I went about my work, only one person challenged my credentials as a locksmith, my id was under my coat and my vehicle was out of sight, and that was for potential work! (I am rarely, if ever, challenged to produce my ID, which I always have to hand. I think the assumption is that an intruder would have to be pretty brave to break in to a shop in plain view of everyone, but you never know.)

As I bypassed the locks and entered the building, the burglar alarm went off. It made a horrific noise, but did not seem to arouse any interest from passers-by. I did not know the code and when I asked the estate agent via telephone, they also had no clue. So I fitted new locks with the siren blaring while the estate agent phoned the alarm provider. My work was soon finished but I waited at the shop, hopefully not looking too shifty, unaware that my I.D. was still tucked out of the way. Hardly a soul looked up at the blaring racket that was the alarm. Eventually the estate agent got back to me with news that left alone, the alarm would go off in twenty minutes as long as its motion sensors were not set off again.

This whole situation made me think – What if this was a house being burgled??

An ex-neighbours alarm seemed to go off almost every time they went out for the day or on holiday. I would always look out of my window (from which I could see a limited view of their drive) and then spend ages annoyed that the noise was distracting to whatever else I may be doing. I often thought I should go and check on their house, but after the first few times, I never did (in the days before I was a locksmith). None of the other neighbours emerged either. The point is, unless you have a system linked directly to a central control centre that will respond to your alarm, are they any use? Like all things, you get what you pay for.

But there is another solution – wireless CCTV.There doesn’t need to be holes drilled through your walls,they can record images day or night and store the recordings for days, rather than the few hours of earlier models. Or you can have an instant image or video sent to your mobile phone if the motion sensors are activated, allowing you to call for help (even from abroad) while the intruder is still in your house.

Another new innovation on the market is a door viewer, with a screen on the inside of the door giving a recordable image of the visitor. When you look through a standard viewer, the person on the outside can tell you are in as the light is blocked off when you put your eye to the door. This can be annoying if the visitor is someone you would rather not see. A digital viewer allows you to see who is on the outside without them knowing you are in. So while it is great for security, it also acts as a means of screening your visitors.

Should you wish to discuss any of the topics in this blog, please get in touch via any of the methods on our contacts page.

Thanks for reading

 

admin September 26, 2013

Home security /

Security Chains

 

Having recently read the local crime report, I see that distraction burglaries have started up again. This is where someone comes to your front door, with some excuse to keep you talking. They might be selling something, or posing as a charity worker, or one of many other things that can be used to keep your attention.

While they have you listening to them at the front door, their partner in crime is in the back looking for anything of value that can be stolen. This is a great time of year for it as many of us have our back doors wide open in the heat to allow cool air through the house. It’s almost too easy for them, especially as they prey more on the elderly and vulnerable.

Many people have security chains on their front doors so they can see either the face, or the credentials, of the person they might be potentially letting into their home, but how many of us put a chain on the back door as well?  It would take a second or two to ensure the security chain was on your back door (if you had one fitted), before going to see who your unannounced visitor was and if it was a hoax, then the potential back door burglar would not be able enter without making a huge racket and thus, alerting you to their presence.

Alternatively, you may be the sort of person who likes an afternoon nap in our current hot weather. A security chain on the back door allows you to still let the cooler air in and keeps the opportunist out.

 AC Locksmiths Norfolk can come and fit a security chain in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea. (Although we always say “yes” when one is offered.)  We can also talk to you about all your security needs and help make sure the opportunist thief moves on elsewhere.  We will also be sympathetic to financial constraints and will endeavour to make recommendations with various options to suit all budgets. 

 Thanks for reading!

admin August 6, 2013

Crime prevention /

Burglaries Advice

Last night I had the sad case of having to replace a lock after someone had been burgled. The victim in question admitted having the door locked but with the keys in the lock and in plain view as the door glass was not even frosted. The person also told me they had that “It would never happen to me,” attitude. The fact is, most burglars look for properties where the owners have this train of thought. If you try and think like an invader when you look at your home security and practices, you will be more likely to do the things that prevent the real crooks looking upon your home as an easy target, which will in turn make them move on.

With this particular case, the intruder wanted to be in and out as fast as possible. Otherwise they would have gotten away with a lot more. The fact that only the stuff on show was taken (apparently they missed easy money in draws) proves this. So just making things harder and longer to do will protect you more. I am not saying that if you spend thousands turning your home into Fort Knox you stand no chance of being targeted, but the harder you make it for them, the less chance you have of becoming a victim. AC Locksmiths Norfolk offers a free home security assessment with no obligation to have our recommendations taken up.

Please use any of the methods on our contact page for an appointment. It doesn’t always happen to someone else.

admin February 20, 2013

Burglary prevention /

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