AUTO LOCKSMITHS EXTRA
PROACTIVE PRODUCT TESTING KEY TO MAXIMISING VEHICLE SECURITY , SAYS TVL GROUP FOUNDER TONY POWELL
Vehicle security has changed drastically since the 1970s , and one man who has witnessed this full arc is Tony Powell , Group Director and founder TVL Group . After starting out as a motor mechanic more than 40 years ago , Tony has built a long , illustrious career not just within the UK ’ s aftermarket vehicle security sector , but as a vital innovator , responsible for numerous now common products in the market .
» “ PEOPLE SAY THAT IMITATION IS the sincerest form of flattery , and it certainly seems the case with our products ,” says Tony . “ We take great pride in being often copied , but never outdone . We achieve that by taking a proactive approach to product development .”
Today , TVL Group is a leading player in the aftermarket vehicle security sector , with several key brands under its belt . This includes TVL Security and ProtectAVan , allowing the business to boast not just a diverse and award-winning portfolio of effective yet affordable security -products , but also the means to quickly install its range on customer fleets . The overwhelming majority of the company ’ s offerings come courtesy of Tony ’ s intuition and expertise , largely drawn from his invaluable first-hand experience in vehicle security across the last five decades .
After originally completing a five-year motor technician apprenticeship , Tony immediately set his sights on moving into the sector , with his first step being to work in collaboration with the owner of a local convenience store offering key cutting services before , together , they founded the London East Security Centre ( LESC ) over 40 years ago .
“ LESC was predominately a general security company , fitting house and factory alarms , safes , locks and such , but by far the most interesting work we had was helping the Metropolitan Police shift illegally parked cars ,” explains Tony . “ In the days before wheel clamps and Z-Wagons , the Met ’ s usual plan of attack was to move these vehicles manually , which was not easy to do given we did not usually have the vehicle ’ s keys – we got very good at legally breaking into vehicles !
“ What we would often arrive to find is that the Road Traffic Officers on the scene had given it a go at breaking into the vehicle themselves , usually damaging the rods connected to the locking mechanism in the process . That forced us to come up with new ways to disengage the system , not unlike how thieves still work .”
TVL Security ’ s team works in much the same way today . By collaborating with vehicle OEMs , it has built its product portfolio through rigorous testing efforts on the latest standard vehicle security systems to the test . Several of its products – including its ArmourShell external lock and DeadLock Protect + and HookLock Protect + security keys – have now received Secured by Design ’ s Police Preferred Specification ( PPS ) accreditation , meaning police forces can officially recommend these solutions to both current and potential victims of van crime .
This achievement is largely down to the work of the TVL Innovation Team which – not dissimilar to Tony ’ s early experiences working with the law enforcement – aims to identify inherent weaknesses in standard factory-fit security systems . Once an entry method is identified , it then sets to work developing the most robust solution possible to prevent thieves from exploiting the same flaws .
This level of commitment has become necessary given how sophisticated thieves have become . As Tony explains , when he started out it was largely opportunist crime that threatened car and van owners . However , that soon changed .
“ The most common MO used to be thieves simply walking down a street checking whether owners had accidentally left their vehicle ’ s doors unlocked overnight , but it didn ’ t take long for criminals to start getting creative ,” he says . “ The more intelligent ones soon figured out most car handle locks could be compromised simply by using a screwdriver to either jimmy the lock or puncture the door just underneath the handle . It really was that simple .”
At the time , automotive manufacturers were also not as up-to-speed on vehicle security as they are today .
“ Most cars used to have common keys while some could be opened simply using almost a lolly stick as the lock ’ s internal wore down over time ,” says Tony . “ The manufacturers have become much savvier , but , unfortunately , so have thieves – they ’ ve swapped out their lolly sticks for power tools .”
Spotting a gap in the market – ideally timed alongside the growing van population in the UK – Tony branched out from helping the Met to creating innovative solutions to prevent vehicle crime himself . The first product under his belt was the DeadLock , inspired by developments in Europe .
“ While the UK opted for mortice keys Europe developed its own profile cylinder , then commonly fitted to aluminium and UPVC doors – what we did was apply that technology to aftermarket vehicle security by creating our DeadLock using a very similar design ,” says Tony . “ That proved a huge success – we are still fitting essentially the same systems we designed 40 years ago today .”
Thieves have continued to push the boundaries though , and information on how to exploit factory-fit vehicle systems can spread much more easily with today ’ s technology .
“ In the 1970s and 1980s , if a new attack method was discovered it was usually done so in London , but even then , it could take a month to spread across the whole city and six months to reach a Manchester
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APRIL 2024
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