Locksmith Services Blog

It is difficult to know all of the different home security locks and keyless entry systems that are available to you if you are not a locksmith, and locks are something that most of us don’t put a lot of thought into. As long as they work when you turn the key, you assume that all is well, but in fact, that may not be the case. Locks serve a very specific purpose, and if you don’t have the right locks installed throughout your home you may be putting your family and your belongings at risk.

Lock bumping is a very big problem these days, and the vast majority of the locks that people are using are not bump-proof locks. Very briefly, lock bumping is a method that thieves use to fashion a particular type of key, called a “bump key,” that they insert into your lock and tap until it catches and allows entry. This can be done in a matter of just a few seconds in some instances, and bump keys are available online for as little as a couple of dollars. Since around 90% of the locks that are out there are vulnerable to lock bumping, you really need to have a locksmith analyze the locks that you are using around your home to be sure that they cannot be so easily compromised.

Other aspects of home security that people do not pay enough attention to in many instances are their patio and sliding glass doors locks. These almost always need to be upgraded to ensure a reasonable measure of home security. A professional locksmith can install high security tamper-proof and pick-proof sliding glass door and patio locks that will keep this vulnerable area of your home safe and sound.

Window locks are also a key aspect of home security that can be overlooked by the layman, especially downstairs windows that are easily accessible from outside. A professional home locksmith can take a look at your windows and the means that you are using to secure them and make recommendations for improvements (like keyed window locks) that will make your home very uninviting to potential intruders.

Garage door locks are another way that homeowners can make their homes more secure, and quality garage door lock installation is a relatively inexpensive way to be certain that your garage is completely protected from would-be thieves.

Having a locksmith inspect your property and let you know what your home security options are is a must for any homeowner. Few of us have unlimited budgets, but a seasoned commercial locksmith can work with you to help you prioritize the most important security upgrades that your house needs, and you can tackle these issues one by one. For a home security analysis from a certified security locksmith, call 24/7 Locksmith Services and we will arrange an appointment that fits into your schedule. We can and do respond to locksmith emergencies that require our immediate assistance, but 24/7 Locksmith Services gets far greater satisfaction from preventing break-ins before they happen.

Nobody wants to live in constant fear of being robbed, and fortunately, most of us will never have our homes broken into. However, the people who are the victims of burglaries are often times not doing enough to protect themselves. If you are practically inviting a thief to easily enter your home, someone just might take you up on it.

Miami locksmiths can do a lot to protect your home from burglaries, but we do need a little bit of help from homeowners. Bump proof locks on your front and back doors are essential, and you also need to make sure that your patio door locks are upgraded, and your garage needs to stay securely locked as well. But even if you have ten locks on every door and window, they will do no good at all if you don’t use them, or if you lock the doors but leave your windows wide open.

A Hallandale Beach couple was burglarized the other day, and they lost a significant amount of property. The thieves got a laptop computer that was worth nearly a thousand dollars, bottles of Percocet and Xanax, a couple of telephones, and $500 in cash. They also took a lock box that contained almost $6,000 worth of jewelry. You have to assume that the house is insured, but the sentimental value of the jewelry can never be replaced.

It is sad to hear about the losses that this couple incurred, but the thing that stands out about this robbery is the fact that the burglars gained entry into the house by bending a screen. It is hard to understand how someone could leave all of their valuables completely unprotected when they leave their home. Nobody “deserves” to be robbed, but if you can’t even take the time to close and lock the windows when you go out, you are putting yourself at risk.

As a locksmith in Miami I may be more security conscious than the average person, but we all have to use common sense to prevent burglaries and be aware of the reality that there are thieves out there. There is the career criminal who is always looking for a score,
and we have to do all that we can to make it tough on them with bump proof locks and home security systems. But there are also people who are not really professional burglars who might be tempted to take advantage of an open window through which they can see a laptop sitting out in plain sight. Do what you can to protect your property by taking a moment before going out to make sure that your home is secure.

24/7 Locksmith Services is the Miami locksmith that people have grown to trust for fast and affordable locksmith work. Call us at 1-866-450-0383 for all of your residential, commercial, and automotive locksmith needs.

Burglary is a problem in Atlanta like it is in all large metropolitan areas, and though property crime was down slightly on a national level, it rose in Atlanta by about 7% in 2008. In fact, Real Clear Politics used the FBI’s 2008 crime statistics to evaluate the least safe cities in America, and Atlanta made it to #2 on this dubious list. Clearly, we have some work to do here to keep the crime rate down, and Atlanta locksmiths play a significant role in that effort.

When the citizenry hears about high crime rates, they want to know what is being done about it, and rightfully so. A lot of candidates for political office run on a platform of being “tough on crime,” and they always vow to put more police officers on the streets. This may have some positive impact, but the recent economic woes have contributed to the crime statistics in 2008. People who are out of work with a lot of time on their hands are much more inclined to consider committing a crime than those of us who are busy working and earning a good living. So the platitudes of the politicians may not always be addressing the real root causes of the problem.

That having been said, every community needs good police officers, and the police academies do a great job of preparing aspirants for this difficult job. Cadets have to go through rigorous training programs before they become full fledged members of the force, and they must meet very stringent requirements to even be accepted into the academy. If you want to be a police officer, you need to obey the laws yourself. Applicants for a position on the police force will be disqualified if they have a significant criminal history, a somewhat recent DUI, or even a less than honorable discharge from the military. So for the most part, if you make it into the police academy, you are an individual who has been on the right side of the law throughout your life, and that is what makes the following story so strange.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that a Gwinnett County police cadet has been arrested for burglary. A former neighbor called police when they spotted him lifting a PlayStation from a neighborhood house. The recruit was actually in his cadet uniform when he was committing the burglary. The Gwinnett County police were not pleased.

“The Gwinnett County police does not tolerate the actions of any of its members that may reflect negatively on this department,” said Cpl. David Schiralli, a spokesman for the department.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. In the what-did-we-learn-from-this department, you have to applaud the former neighbor who called the police for keeping an eye out. A formal or informal neighborhood watch program is one of the best ways to prevent burglaries. It is certainly a good thing that this cadet showed his true character before he made it onto the force.

Source: AJC

Locksmiths in Washington DC are charged with the responsibility of keeping people’s property safe from thieves, so we like to keep abreast of crime trends. I was recently looking at a press release that was issued by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. They released statistics on the passenger vehicles that are stolen the most frequently and how great the losses are from these thefts.

A lot of people want to buy the sharpest car that they can afford, and I guess that makes sense. It is kind of sad to say so, but the truth is that when you buy a car that is really nice and eye catching, it is going to attract the eye of thieves as well. However, statistics show that car thieves seem to think that “bigger is better.” With this in mind, it comes as no surprise the Cadillac Escalade ESV is the the most frequently stolen car in the United States.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety generates these statistics by measuring how many vehicle thefts occur for each model of car or truck per 1,000 policies issued. Other organizations offer statistics that use different methods, which is why you may have seen lists that differ somewhat from this one. Washington DC locksmiths can help you to ward off thieves by installing a number of different security solutions, and we encourage all drivers in DC to take extra precautions to prevent car theft. Here is the complete list of the ten most stolen cars:

1.) 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV
2.) 2005-2007 Ford F-250 SuperCrew
3.) 2007 Cadillac Escalade
4.) 2006-2007 Dodge Charger
5.) 2005-2007 Ford F-350 SuperCrew
6.) 2005-2007 Hummer H2 UT
7.) 2005-2007 Dodge Magnum
8.) 2005-2007 Hummer H2
9.) 2005-2007 S2000 Convertible
10.) 2005-2007 Dodge Durango

24/7 Locksmith Services is your comprehensive Washington DC locksmith company. When you are looking for a residential, commercial, emergency, or automotive locksmith in Washington DC, call 24/7 Locksmith Services at  (866) 450-0383.