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Is modern security locking out locksmiths ?
The Locksmith Journal is always on the lookout for stories of real-life locksmithing and ‘ front line ’ experiences . Recently , a locksmith of 16 years got in touch with a call out he had to deal with that left him wondering : can some locks be so ‘ secure ’ against break ins that they are causing unnecessary problems for those that really do need to get into a door ?
» THE JOB SEEMED SIMPLE ENOUGH from the call ; a young woman was struggling to use her own key to get into her rented property . Before calling the locksmith – Roy – she had contacted the company that manage the property who had sent out one of their employees . His key had snapped in the lock .
When Roy attended , he was faced with a small , single door property ; one room downstairs , two rooms upstairs . After the key had snapped in the lock , it became apparent that someone – maybe the property manager – had tried to bump and bang the part left in the lock , which had knocked it off centre . It quickly became apparent to Roy that this wasn ’ t coming out easily .
On closer inspection to the ( what he now knew ) was a cylinder lock , an additional safety escutcheon within presented a further problem . In a nutshell , it took two days ’ work of drilling right through the lock before he could turn the cam . This was the only way the experienced locksmith could get into the lock – and the property – without damaging the client ’ s door .
Roy was quick to point out that many will ask why he didn ’ t enter through a window . In this case , he couldn ’ t prise or force his way in , and even inspected other neighbours ’ windows from the inside ( with their permission ) to check if it was possible .
Luckily , the lady trying to get into the property – who also had a young child – was able to stay with her parents nearby while the two-day job was carried out . This obviously won ’ t always be the case .
The issue that Roy had with this callout , and it isn ’ t the first time , is that while locks of course have to be secure , are we heading towards a point where lock manufacturers are adding so many features to their security products that they are locking out professional installers in the process ? In this case , as Roy commented – a single door occupancy – there was no way to quickly get in without causing costly damage . As someone who has worked with the Police in the past , Roy commented that burglars in the most part would not pick or drill a lock ( especially not if it took two days !), they would smash a window or door , so in this case , the high security was not keeping thieves out of the house but the woman and her child who quite rightfully should be allowed in …
This notion further went on to ask are everyday locksmiths included in the thought process of hardware and security development too late in the process , if at all ? On this point , Roy has come across another issue recently , which is the growing preference of an entrance door ( often grey ) that has a large pull handle rather than a lever handle . In his recent experience – he has attended several calls with the same problem – the lock on the door has failed , and he believes that it is because the key alone is not strong enough to drive the claws back . In his words , these doors with a large pull handle are just a ‘ no-no ’.
Roy recognises that ‘ a job is a job ’ but as is often the case , it is the locksmith that faces the customer every day . He also points out that when jobs take a lot longer than they should – or you think they would – there is a knock-on effect to other clients ; a recent window handle that should ’ ve taken 15 minutes takes six hours for example ; of course we can expect things like this to happen now and again . But , when he is starting to see the same thing happening over and over again , is there a bigger issue ? And where does the line between keeping those we don ’ t want out of properties and getting ourselves in when we need to do get drawn ?
This piece was written following a locksmith that chose to get in touch with the magazine and start a discussion with readers of The Locksmith Journal . Do you have a response to this piece or your own issue you ’ d like to raise ? Have you attended an unusual job recently – or – are you seeing something that should be unusual more and more often and you want to know why ?
Get in touch with gemma @ cvgroup . co . uk
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MAY / JUN 2021
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