The Locksmith Journal Sep-Oct 2014 - Issue 34 | Page 42

homesecuritymonth National Home Security Month is Back to Boost Winter Sales When the clocks go back the criminals come out, with statistics showing a 20%* increase in burglaries during the darker nights, making it a peak time for sales of home security products. National Home Security Month is designed to help locksmiths take advantage of this, highlighting the importance of keeping properties and valuables safe to help drive consumer demand for security improvements. Demographics show that many people prefer to use professionals to 42 THE SEP/OCT 2014 ISSUE SPONSORED BY ADVANCED KEYS install products rather than trying their hand at DIY, so this provides a wealth of opportunities for locksmiths to get involved in fitting home security solutions. The Yale supported initiative is now in its second year and will run throughout October, featuring a series of hints and tips to highlight the ways consumers can keep their homes, families and possessions safe during the dark nights. The campaign will feature four weekly themes, each focusing on a different aspect of home security, and is designed to provide support for locksmiths by creating increased demand for their services, boosting profits and building awareness of security issues in the long-term. Throughout the month, the campaign will educate consumers on the best ways to secure their home, based on advice given via a dedicated microsite, social media and marketing activities. National Home Security Month kicks off with a look at local crime, encouraging consumers to evaluate the risk in their local community. This is followed by a focus on door and window security (w/c 6 October), providing locksmiths with the perfect opportunity to promote locking solutions to homeowners. When carrying out door security improvements locksmiths should consider using a mortice lock and/ or nightlatch that meets British Standard BS3621 (thief resistant lock assembly). If the door is PVCu or composite then it’s also a good idea to upgrade the euro profile cylinder in the multipoint lock to a British Standard Kitemark TS007 three star cylinder. Yale’s AS Platinum Series Euro Cylinder offers the highest level of security and is British Kitemarked TS007:2012 (3 star rated). It has been tested to the British Standard BS EN1303:2005 and is approved by Secured by Design, an official UK Police initiative, which supports the principles of ‘designing out crime’ . To withstand the most determined intruder the AS Platinum Series has four separate lines of defence. A snap-off front section that sacrificially comes away if attacked, meaning there is less of the cylinder to grip, with hardened grip-deflectors making it more difficult to get a firm hold. The cylinder’s hardened reinforced bar designed not to snap, but to flex in a way that will defeat the vast majority of intruders, its interlocking cam with strengthening bar to provide additional protection on the top section of the cylinder. These enhanced security features allow locksmiths to provide customers with a robust product that offers unrivalled security. To read more, visit www.locksmithjournal.co.uk