Have you ever read or heard of a home
invasion or burglary that indicated "no signs of forced
entry" and thought 'how did that happen?'
Well there are lots of ways this can happen. However, did
you know that only 6.5% are considered as "attempted
forcible entries"? This means that only 6.5% of the time did
the bad guy try to gain entry and NOT succeed. It also means
that that the balance, or 93.5%, of entries are successful
and either categorized as an (achieved) "forcible entry" or
"unlawful entry". Unlawful entry typically results in 'no
signs of forced entry' or NSOFE! To understand how to
combat this we first have to understand trends, tendencies
and have some basic understandings. A rule of thumb is
realizing the 80/20 rule applies in many things, including
home safety. In layman's terms this means focusing on the
'small things' will solve 'big problems'. At Lock Jaw
Security, we focused on the 93.5% of 'forcible - and -
unlawful entries'.
The facts are that 1 out of 3 entries are made via the front
door (compared to 9% via the garage door). Almost 1 out of 4
entries are made via the back door. Less than 2% entered
anywhere on the second floor of a dwelling. Common sense
statistics, therefore, tell us to "secure your door"!
Here are methods, old and new, used that result in NSOFE:
Not locking the door.
Hiding a key (bad
idea!) - Unauthorized use of the actual key.
1. The first step is to
"harden the target" or make your home more difficult to
enter. Remember, the burglar will simply bypass your home if
it requires too much effort or requires more skill and tools
than he possesses. Most burglars enter via the front, back,
or garage doors. Experienced burglars know that the garage
door is usually the weakest point of entry followed by the
back door. The garage and back doors also provide the most
cover. Burglars know to look inside your car for keys and
other valuables so keep it locked, even when parked inside
your garage.
2. Use high quality
Grade-1 or Grade-2 locks on exterior doors to resist
twisting, prying, and lock-picking attempts. A quality
deadbolt lock will have a beveled casing to inhibit the use
of channel-lock pliers used to shear off lock cylinder pins.
A quality door knob-in-lock set will have a 'dead latch'
mechanism to prevent slipping the lock with a shim or credit
card.
Use a solid core or
metal door for all entrance points
Use a quality,
heavy-duty, deadbolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt
Use a quality,
heavy-duty, knob-in-lock set with a dead-latch mechanism
Use a heavy-duty,
four-screw, strike plate with 3-inch screws to penetrate
into a wooden door frame
Additionally, according to
a very popular and well searched website regarding overall
security, the following excerpt is provided:
Tip! - As well as
locking something, you must also protect the lock and its
components. Reason: Many home
door locks can be quickly bypassed with a knife or
screwdriver slid in the gap between door and frame. After
that the criminal can easily work the tongue of most locks
out of the door frame.