What Is Lock Snapping And What Can You Do To Prevent It?
Having someone break into your home in the middle of the night or while you are away for work or school during the day is one of the most frightening thoughts to have. It is also one of the main reasons why people are starting to pay more attention to home security and invest in alarm systems and high-security locks.
As experts in the fields of locksmithing, we have witnessed thousands of people who have fallen victim to home intruders over the years. We know the psychological effects are almost always greater than the distress caused by the stolen items.
To lower the risk of you falling victim to a home burglar, here is everything you should know about lock snapping and what you can do to prevent it.
Pay Attention To Your Entryway
Contrary to popular belief, the entry door is one of the most common ways burglars will try to make their way into a home or commercial building. They will rely on various ad-hoc, improvised tools or advanced devices, depending on their level of experience. Some will look for hidden spare keys you might have left underneath a fake rock in the garden or a plant pot on the patio. Others will try simply try the door and see if it was left unlocked – you'd be surprised to hear that around 7 percent of Americans choose not to lock their doors on purpose. If you live in the South, chances are you are probably drawing the line when it comes to your hospitality and the act of not locking your door for any uninvited guests. Statistics say 81 percent of people in the South always lock their doors, with Alaska and the rest of the states in the Northwest forgetting to secure their doors (46%).
With a burglary occurring every 20 seconds, why make a crook's work even easier by leaving your home unlocked? After a brief knock on the door to make sure no one is home, an opportunist burglar will simply the knob and get access to your home
The quality of the lock on your front door and its current condition is also going to make a difference. However, even if you have a good lock on the door and you are diligent about doing a full lockdown when you are home, a burglar may still be able to break into your home through a procedure called lock snapping.
Lock Snapping 101
Lock snapping refers to a means of perpetrating a home because without any special skills. All that is needed is a hammer and a screwdriver. The most common types of locks that usually fall victim to lock snapping are Euro cylinder locks, normally found on uPVC doors. While this lock is known to have multi-locking points, these points are managed with the help of just one cylinder. The cylinder can be easily snapped in two without too much effort. By applying the necessary force to the respective cylinder, the burglar should manage to easily break it and make its way in by using some simple tools. To a seasoned locksmith who has been snapping locks their entire life, it is a process that usually lasts no more than ten seconds.
Lock Snapping Burglaries Between 2009 And 2019
According to official burglary statistics, the number of burglaries involving cylinder snapping has been on a descending trend in the last decade. In 2009, there were close to 12.50% burglaries connected to lock snapping, with an almost 3 percent increase in each of the following two years followed by consecutive drops between 2012 and 2015 (when lock snapping burglaries reached 7.85%). 2016 to 2019 recorded around 8 percent of all burglaries tied to cylinder snapping.
The lock snapping burglary decline since 2011 can be explained with the help of the introduction of the SS312 Diamond cylinders that are designed with the lock snapping burglary in mind. The TS 007 is another excellent lock that can fight off the risk of lock snapping that has been presented to the public in 2012 by the Door and Hardware Federation.
Also, the number of lock snapping burglary attempts has been on a descending trend as well since 2012, with an all-time record high recorded in 2011 (6 percent) and an all-time record low in 2019 (2.657%). again, the existence of sturdy locks like the SS312 Diamond has forced burglars to think twice about using the lock snapping technique to make their way into their victims' homes.
Lock Snapping Prevention Tips
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Have an expert, authorized locksmith like the On Time Locksmiths team assess your locks and determine their degree of wear-out and vulnerability.
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Invest in a powerful, burglarproof anti-snap lock if you do not already have one or if your old lock is too worn out or broken to keep your door secure. Have a licensed locksmith install it for you to make sure you will fully benefit from its properties since day one.
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Take a look at your front door cylinder lock and determine if the lock sticks out of the handle and penetrates it with ease. If this is the case, chances are you are going to need to hire lock replacement services. Give us a call and book an appointment with us. We handle the entire array of residential lock and key services and we specialize in lock installation no matter what make and model you might have in mind. If you are not sure what new lock to install, we can provide you with the professional advice you need and also handle the practical installation at an affordable price.
Call now and let the On Time Locksmiths reach your address, restore security on your vulnerable front door lock and keep you safe from lock snapping attempts.
What Customers Say About Us
Dave is great! He was punctual and professional. And after installing the new locks on all of our doors, he cleaned up after himself! The same cannot be said for the last service I hired… would definitely recommend and use again!
We live not too far from Chicago and I spend about a hour and a half to get to my office. Mornings are always in a hurry for me and a broken door would be the worst I could expect. However, this was exactly what happened. I had no time to lose and so I called 247 Ontime Locksmiths. The expert guy from Locksmiths could fix the problem and I could go to work.
My car door didn’t open at all. Just a phone call to 24/7 Local Locksmiths and in less than 15 minutes I could drive my car again! Good job!
