Locksmith Services Blog

When you are a professional locksmith, if you want to stay relevant as new innovations come along in your industry, you have to be willing to undergo ongoing training. Much of this takes place on the job, and since certified locksmiths have a solid theoretical background from their years of experience in the business, learning how to work with new products is a matter of building on what they already know. However, there is a lot of new security technology on the market, so the skill set that a diligent locksmith carries with him today is a lot more comprehensive than it was twenty or thirty years ago.

Keyless entry systems are one of the modern innovations that locksmiths need to be versed in, and there are a number of different types of keyless locks, so there is a lot to know. The thing that has remained consistent is the locking mechanisms themselves for the most part, so it is not like reinventing the wheel, but the way they are released and triggered is what is so different. It requires a lot of work for a locksmith to stay current on all of the high tech keyless entry systems for homes and business, but it is also very rewarding. In fact, it is actually fun to work on a variety of different types of modern high security locks, like biometric fingerprint and handprint locks, remote wireless deadbolts, hardwired keypads, push-button handlesets, and proximity card readers.

In any industry, you have to be adaptable and willing and able to change along with the times, and few trades have demanded more ongoing training in recent years than that of the locksmith. Many of the new products that have been introduced have been specifically designed to eliminate some of the tasks that locksmiths have traditionally done, so keeping up-to-date and able to service all types of modern equipment has been necessary for the very survival of the modern locksmith.

Keyless locks, for instance, are meant to eliminate the need to replace your locks when you want to prevent someone with a key from having access to a property. Also, when you use keyless locks, you have no keys to lose or forget, and responding to those types of situations has always been a common job for locksmiths. The good news, however, is that there is a whole new wave of business out there for locksmiths who are keeping up-to-date. Modern home security solutions are making the old ones obsolete, so there is a lot of work to be done modernizing the security locks in people’s homes, vehicles, and businesses.

There is still plenty of old school, traditional work for locksmiths, but times are changing, and 24/7 Locksmith Services is on the cutting edge of all modern high tech locksmith technologies. We can install and service commercial access and security systems including biometric fingerprints technologies, and we can upgrade your home security with heavy duty bump-proof locks or the modern keyless entry system of your choice. For seasoned and certified locksmiths who take their vocation seriously enough to keep abreast of all state-of-the-art security solutions as they are released to the public, call the experts at 24/7 Locksmith Services and rest assured that the safety of your home or business is in the hands of a highly trained and totally up-to-date professional master locksmith.

Most of us have professionals that we go to regularly when we need the services they provide. We have a family doctor and a regular dentist, and we know who we will call if we need a plumber, a carpenter, an electrician, or a landscaper. We develop these relationships over time and we continue to do business with people that provide us with quality work and good service at fair prices, and invariably, we recommend them to others.

It is a good idea to keep a list of all of the service providers that you may need somewhere handy in the event of an emergency. You don’t need to be rummaging through your drawers looking for the phone book or wasting time trying to separate the spam from the legitimate listings online when you need help immediately.

Locksmiths are often called because people find themselves locked out of their business, car, or home, and when you have no idea who to turn to when you are in the midst of an unexpected locksmith emergency, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to scams. There was recently a case in Missouri that was brought to light by the State Attorney General there that underscores why you should identify a reputable local locksmith in your area and keep their contact information close at hand.

There was a locksmith company out of Florida that came to Missouri and created multiple fake identities with different phone numbers that all fed to the same call center. When you called any one of these companies due to a locksmith emergency, they would quote you a particular price, and then charge you much more when they got there. If you tried to complain at the “office” that was listed, you found out that there was no locksmith at that address. And then if you told others to beware of this unscrupulous locksmith, they were likely to get the same company because they dominated the listings under different names with different phone numbers.

This type of thing can and does happen in any industry, which is why it is wise to find tradesmen that you know you can count on to act with integrity if you have to call them in the event of an emergency. The best way to do this is to develop a relationship under non-emergency circumstances. Residential locksmiths offer a full range of solutions that can help keep your home and valuables safe. Having a locksmith come out to upgrade your locks or install a keyless entry system can be a good way to improve your home security while connecting with someone you can trust in the event of an emergency.

24/7 Locksmith Services is dedicated to becoming the most trusted 24 hour emergency locksmith in the business, and we do all that we can to keep people aware of the scams that are out there to help you avoid paying more than you should. We highly recommend that you develop a relationship with an honest local locksmith who you can rely on to respond to emergency locksmith situations quickly, honor their quotes, and get the job done right. Don’t take chances when you need a mobile locksmith. Call the trusted professionals at 24/7 Locksmith Services.

Full service locksmiths provide a wide range of services, and if you ask most professional locksmiths, they will tell you that they would rather prevent problems before they happen than respond to them. Residential locksmiths can offer solutions that make breaking into your house all but impossible. Commercial locksmiths can protect your employees, your inventory, and your property with high security locks and access control and security systems, and automotive locksmiths can install keyless entry systems so that you never have to worry about forgetting your keys.

Though locksmiths do prefer to help you avoid emergencies before they happen, when you are in a bind, you need a mobile locksmith who can get to you as quickly as possible. The most reliable locksmiths understand the need for speed when you are locked out of your home or car, but like anything else, some locksmiths are more diligent than others.

The emergency locksmith companies with true integrity keep the customer in mind. They realize that there is a person that is in need out there when they are sent out on a call, and though we all work to earn a paycheck, it is rewarding to be able to help someone who is in the midst of an emergency locksmith situation.

Things like this happen to locksmiths all the time, but we recently had a customer who had gone shopping with her infant daughter, and she had the child in the car seat in the back while she was loading the groceries into the car. She placed her keys down on the seat unconsciously as she was doing this, and she made sure the door was locked before she shut it. The only problem was, she had locked the front door too. So the baby was locked in the car.

Fortunately, the mom had her phone in her pocket, and she called in frantically and explained the situation. The dispatcher is a mom too, and she got an emergency locksmith out to the scene in a matter of minutes, and when he got there, the baby was smiling in the back, unaware of any problem. He got the door open and in the end, the customer hardly missed a beat. But it was a scary few minutes for her, and a good local locksmith company recognizes that situations like this call for a very quick response.

If the woman had called a so-called “emergency locksmith” company who didn’t take their responsibilities seriously, the outcome could have been much different. 24/7 Locksmith Services has built a reputation for fast response times to locksmith emergencies, and we can typically arrive on the scene within 30 minutes of receiving your call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Emergency locksmith jobs involve real people who are in a jam, and when your child is locked in the car, or when you are stranded in a rough neighborhood at midnight, you don’t need a busy signal or a recorded message. You need an emergency locksmith who is there for you when and where you need him, and we understand that. We hope that you call us to prevent problems before they happen, but if you do need an emergency locksmith, the name to remember is 24/7 Locksmith Services.

10.) Identity Theft Prevention

Most people never consider the fact that sensitive documents that are stored within their homes should be under lock and key. If you have filing cabinets, drawers, and other places where you keep documents that you need to keep out of the wrong hands (and we all do), you need to bring in a residential locksmith who can recommend high security padlocks, cabinet locks, and other solutions.

9.) Garage Door Lock Installation

You can be certain that when thieves are casing a neighborhood, one of the first things they take notice of is the garage door. Many people do not have security locks on their garage doors, and in fact, a lot of people don’t lock them at all. Imagine how easy it is to get into a home without anyone seeing you through the door between the house and the garage.

8.) Evaluate Window Locks

Most of us have windows that have those crescent locks built into the frames, and we just engage those (when we think about it, which may not be often) and consider our windows to be securely locked. Unfortunately, they are not. These so-called locks can be rather easily opened by an experienced crook with a knife or other flat tool that is slipped between the outer and inner window sash. The best way to secure your windows is to have an experienced locksmith install key operated window locks or other appropriate high security solutions.

7.) Analyze Sliding Glass Door Locks

Many of us have sliding glass doors that lead out onto a patio, and if you are only using the lock that is built into the handle, you may be exposing yourself to a significant security risk. A certified home locksmith can recommend added layers of sliding glass door lock protection, like jimmy plates, safety bars, auxiliary locks and patio door pins.

6.) Property Crime is Rising

The police departments in many municipalities around the country are seeing a spike in property crimes like home burglary, and they see the economic downturn as the primary cause. Now more than ever it is extremely important to go the extra mile and be certain that your home is not an easy mark for experienced burglars.

5.) Increase the Value of Your Home

Every penny that you spend to improve your property adds to its value. So in a very real sense, when you divert financial resources into your home, you are investing that money, not spending it. When you have a residential locksmith come out to the house and upgrade your home security, you are making a home improvement that is paying for itself while you gain added peace of mind.

4.) Bump-Proof Lock Analysis

When you see how easy it is for thieves to open most locks with a bump key that they can get over the Internet for a couple of bucks, you immediately recognize the need for bump-proof locks. Approximately 90% of the locks that are in use today can be opened with a simple and easily obtainable bump key, and savvy thieves can sometimes get past your lock in a matter of seconds. A security locksmith can evaluate your locks and suggest the bump-proof locks that are right for your home.

3.) Keyless Lock Consultation

Locksmiths prefer preventing emergencies to responding to them, but they do get a lot of calls from people who are locked out of their houses. When you have keyless entry systems installed in your home, you gain a number of conveniences and security advantages, but perhaps best of all, you never have to worry about losing your keys ever again.

2.) You Connect With an Honest Local Locksmith

There are a number of locksmith scams out there, and when the first call that you ever make to a locksmith is when you are in an emergency situation, you will be at the mercy of this individual who may charge you more than you were quoted. You should establish a relationship with a locksmith that you know you can trust, and having a certified locksmith evaluate your home security is a good way to do that.

1.) Your Home is Your Castle

Your home is probably your largest financial investment, and virtually everything that you own is inside of it. It is where your family resides, and nothing is more important than the safety of your loved ones. If you would ever consult with any professional or tradesman about any matter at all, how could you not call a security locksmith to evaluate your home and work with him to do all that is possible to ensure the safety of your family?

24/7 Locksmith Services takes home security very seriously, and we encourage you to contact us and make an appointment to have your property evaluated by one of our master residential locksmiths. We know our business and we’re dedicated to serving the needs of our residential customers. Don’t save pennies and risk thousands. Call the household security professionals at 24/7 Locksmith Services and be certain that you are doing all that you can to keep your family and your belongings safe and secure.

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.

Tampa locksmiths have to stay vigilant to help their customers prevent car theft, and it is a good thing that there are so many good anti-theft devices on the market today, because thieves can become quite organized and sophisticated. It is one thing to try to protect yourself from random individuals who are not very savvy or experienced, but when you have organized theft rings doing business over a number of years, they can get pretty good at what they do.

“Car cloning” is a way that car thieves can sell the cars that they steal and have them appear to the buyer to be legal. They take the license plate, vehicle identification number, and other identifiers from a legal vehicle and place them on a stolen one that is a similar year and model. The person whose car was stolen is obviously victimized by these car cloning theft rings, but the buyers of the cars are also left holding the bag when the authorities find out that they are in possession of a stolen vehicle that they thought they bought fair and square.

A man named Joe Pirrone was the victim of a Tampa based car cloning theft ring that was recently broken up by the FBI. Pirrone took out a loan on a $27,000 pickup truck only to find out that it was stolen and being towed out of his driveway by order of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office while he was enjoying a short vacation in Fort Lauderdale.

“I am making payments on a piece of property that I don’t have. They can’t even repossess it. The bank doesn’t have any help to offer me,” said Pirrone.

The ring had stolen over 1,000 different vehicles that resulted in losses exceeding $24 million. Before the FBI was able to put a stop to it, they had actually been stealing cars and cloning them for around twenty years.

This particular auto theft ring has finally been brought to justice, but the story is very informative. When you realize that there may very well be highly experienced and organized car thieves operating here in Tampa and elsewhere around the country, it underscores the importance of taking preventative measures. You have to make sure that you are protecting your vehicle, but you must also beware when you are buying a car or a truck so that you don’t wind up like Joe Pirrone, who is stuck with a $536 a month payment on a truck he doesn’t have.

Source: CNN

When you need a locksmith in Tampa that you can trust for fast service at affordable prices, call 24/7 Locksmith Services at (813) 994-8383.

As an Atlanta locksmith, a particular piece of news that I read today was very interesting to me. A law was just passed in the state of Oregon House of Representatives by a landslide vote of 56-3 that is requiring locksmiths to become licensed by the state. Locksmiths will now have to pass a test that proves that they understand the trade, and they will also be required to pass a background check.

It is amazing to realize that in most states, including the state of Georgia, you need to have a license to cut hair, but there are no licensing requirements for locksmiths whatsoever. If you own a locksmith company in Atlanta you would have to have a business license of course, but the state requires no professional licensing, no testing, and no background check.

Ethical Atlanta locksmiths have always found this lack of industry regulation to be kind of perplexing. I hate to put it like this, but locksmiths are people who know how to break into your car, your house, and your business. We know how to get past locks. You would think that if a state was going to regulate any type of industry at all, even the cosmetology trade, they would want to make sure that people who open locked doors for a living were licensed. And why they are at it, they might want to make sure that locksmiths are free of any convictions for things like, say, breaking and entering. Do you think that might be a good requirement for a Georgia locksmith license?

I’m a GA locksmith who does things the right way, and the recent locksmith scams that I have been reading about really make my blood boil because these characters are making it harder for real locksmiths. Scam artists create many different company names with fake addresses and get different phone numbers for them. Then they place ads in the Yellow Pages, and all of the calls to these numbers are routed to the same call center. When people call, these scam locksmith companies pull the bait and switch game. They quote one price over the phone, and then charge way more when they get to the job. If the locksmith industry was regulated and people had to be licensed and go through background checks and follow certain rules, these locksmith scams would be much more difficult to pull off. It seems to me that the lack of licensing requirements for locksmiths in Georgia and other states invites scam artists to try their luck as a locksmith.

I applaud the state of Oregon for passing this law, and I only hope that GA locksmith licensing is next. One thing that I want to make perfectly clear is that even though there is no licensing requirement for locksmiths in Atlanta and throughout the state, 24/7 Locksmith Services hires only qualified and reputable locksmiths. Our guys are clean as a whistle, we treat our customers with respect, and we always honor our quotes.