Lock Bumping

[Wishmaster]

A friend of mine recently had her house broken into, and several items stolen (what a way to ring in the new year). Fortunately, it all happened while she wasn't home. The jackass that broke into her place used a method called lock bumping. It's apparently the new thing for criminals to do to get into your home. Anyways, she posted a nice blog about it. Having not heard about the technique before myself, it inspired me to go out this weekend and replace my locks. I wanted to pass this along to everyone so y'all know what to do to keep yourselves safe.

If you haven't yet heard of the term "Lock Bumping", you will - hopefully, before your place is broken into and in time to change the locks you currently have on your doors.

Lock Bumping is a technique for unlocking standard cylindar locks (like your deadbolt) using very little force, making very little noise, and causing absolutly no damage to the lock itself (so "no sign of forced entry" is what goes on the police report). This is not a new technique (try, 1970), but is now reaching mainstream popularity. [You can read all about the history of it and how we've neglected to do anything about it until now at: Wikipedia on Lock Bumping ]

If you'd like to watch a news story on it with footage that shows just what the Wikipedia article describes (I'd highly recommend it), go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr23tpWX8lM

And yes, there are locks on the market (few, but they're there) that cannot be "bumped". Kwikset makes one called SmartKey, Medeco makes several, Schlage's Primus line are also supposed to be bump-proof. If you are in a position to change your locks, I'd recommend doing so. If, however, you're in an apartment community that feels the need to keep everything "standard" and not change the type of locks they use (because it would be more expensive), I'd recommend writing them a letter explaining this technique, along with helpful links they can go to, then reminding them that in the terms of the lease (in most cases) they stated that it was their responsibility to provide a reasonable level of security (in terms of door locks, etc.) and that the current door locks are obsolete/useless and no longer provide a reasonable level of security to the residents of the community.

Hopefully, that will help expedite this change, but if it doesn't... and your place is broken into in such a manner... you can at least show that the Management were aware of the threat and were neglegent in taking reasonable steps to prevent it. Your civil suit should provide you the funds for moving out.

--Mike

 

[Kaosaur]

Many "bump proof" locks just aren't. Like they said, this is nothing new...in fact at this point it's the standard method to pick the majority of locks on the market.

The fact of the matter is, if somebody really wants to break into your house, they're going to get in. Most robberies are crimes of opportunity and the best way to deter them is to slow their entry long enough to make it too risky for them to enter. It is very likely that they broke in knowing that nobody was home as house burglars usually case their target for days or weeks to learn their patterns.

I hate to say this, but houses that are broken into successfully once are often burglarized again at a later date. I would suggest more than just putting on new locks on the front door. A new alarm system (definitely do this if there was an old system that was bypassed) and a CCTV system (1-4 cameras) saving to computer disk instead of tape. Systems to do the latter can actually cost as little has $400 but the average package with alarm and monitoring is about $2-3k and whatever the monthly fee is for monitoring. Ask your friend what they're doing and get back to me if you'd like.

 

[jaimek]

Around these parts, they don't bother with lock bumping; they just kick the damn door in whether someone's there or not.

 

[Yippee38]

The fact of the matter is, if somebody really wants to break into your house, they're going to get in. Most robberies are crimes of opportunity and the best way to deter them is to slow their entry long enough to make it too risky for them to enter. It is very likely that they broke in knowing that nobody was home as house burglars usually case their target for days or weeks to learn their patterns.

My family's house was broken into when I was in HS. The cops said the exact same thing.

 

[Pellaz]

Yep. We can build a bigger, better 'non-bump' lock, and eventually they'll find a way to defeat it, too. Or just kick the door in.

Some things you can do:

1. Use timers to control lamps in your house, to simulate someone being home. Most crooks will not attempt to burgle a house if they think someone's home. (The exceptions are home-invaders, and basically nothing will protect you from them except a strong endgame, i.e., a gun or mace or something.)

2. Turn a radio on and leave it on, when you aren't at home. Not tuned to music, but to a talk radio station. This also encourages burglars to find a different house, and the talking unnerves them more than music would.

3. Go ahead and install 'bump-proof' locks if you can afford it, on the why-the-fuck-not principle. Your burglar might be one of the ones who doesn't know how, and besides, such locks are hopefully higher quality and pick-resistant anyway.

4. Be sure your alarm system works and is armed when you are not at home. If the alarm company provides stickers or signs, mount them in your windows and on your front lawn. Houses with alarms are less likely to be broken into, especially by 'casual' thieves.

5. Don't have an alarm system? There are inexpensive ($100 and a bit less) options available now, including self-contained sensors that can strobe and cause a lot of noise when they detect motion. Most thieves will leave immediately if they're being blinded and sirened to death, especially if they think your neighbors have now been alerted to the break-in.

Etc.

 

[Diamond45]

2. Turn a radio on and leave it on, when you aren't at home. Not tuned to music, but to a talk radio station. This also encourages burglars to find a different house, and the talking unnerves them more than music would.

After my parents house was broken into back in the 70s, we often did turn the radio on. Back then, there really wasn't anything called "talk radio" but I see your point.

Don't have an alarm system? There are inexpensive ($100 and a bit less) options available now, including self-contained sensors that can strobe and cause a lot of noise when they detect motion. Most thieves will leave immediately if they're being blinded and sirened to death, especially if they think your neighbors have now been alerted to the break-in.

Sadly, I can't do this because we have a cat. Every time he'd move around the house the alarm would go off

Then again, he is a nut so it probably wouldn't even bother him at all.

 

[Yippee38]

Something Pellaz left off his list is get a dog with a "big" bark.

 

[Pellaz]

Something Pellaz left off his list is get a dog with a "big" bark.

That's true. I'm not a 'dog' person, else I'd have mentioned it first or second. (I get along with dogs fine, I'm just not sure I want one around All The Time. )

Sadly, I can't do this because we have a cat. Every time he'd move around the house the alarm would go off

It might be possible to adjust the sensitivity on some of them to 'overlook' something the size of a cat.

Then again, he is a nut so it probably wouldn't even bother him at all.

haha! Carry on, then.

 

[nailz]

There is, on the cat thing.. No self respecting alarm company would sell one that goes off with pet movement. there's a certain size of an object that must be moving for a certain amount of time before it goes off.

 

[Diamond45]

There is, on the cat thing.. No self respecting alarm company would sell one that goes off with pet movement. there's a certain size of an object that must be moving for a certain amount of time before it goes off.

Nice to hear that... but I've seen some detection sensors that are really sensitive, so I was wondering if something the size of a fat cat would set off one or not.

 

[rockyracoon]

I have cameras to monitor the front of my house and the street. The feed goes directly to my computer in my bedroom and gets recorded and all that cool shit. I'd love to update to something bigger and better but it's not cheap.


Got a dog too, but he's an English Springer Spaniel. Not the best guard dog. But I do have a big fenced in dog run on the side of my house that perhaps could deter a would-be thief just by power of suggestion.


All in all my neighborhood is about as vanilla as you can get, so although home safety is very important to me, it helps not to be living someplace with bullets whizzing past my house. I'm pretty anti-gun, but I suppose given the right situation I'd maybe consider it. Maybe.

 

[rockyracoon]

I have cameras to monitor the front of my house and the street. The feed goes directly to my computer in my bedroom and gets recorded and all that cool shit. I'd love to update to something bigger and better but it's not cheap.


Got a dog too, but he's an English Springer Spaniel. Not the best guard dog. But I do have a big fenced in dog run on the side of my house that perhaps could deter a would-be thief just by power of suggestion.


All in all my neighborhood is about as vanilla as you can get, so although home safety is very important to me, it helps not to be living someplace with bullets whizzing past my house. I'm pretty anti-gun, but I suppose given the right situation I'd maybe consider it. Maybe.

 

[Pellaz]

Nice to hear that... but I've seen some detection sensors that are really sensitive, so I was wondering if something the size of a fat cat would set off one or not.

heh. My garage motion sensor is pretty sensitive; it goes off every once in a while for no apparent reason and I have to assume a dog or a cat (or a deer or a bunny rabbit) ambled by the front of the garage. I'd rather have it a bit too sensitive than otherwise, though.

All in all my neighborhood is about as vanilla as you can get, so although home safety is very important to me, it helps not to be living someplace with bullets whizzing past my house. I'm pretty anti-gun, but I suppose given the right situation I'd maybe consider it. Maybe.

My neighborhood seems pretty safe, too, and I'm reluctant to get a gun. (Besides, I have a crossbow and 15-20 lbs of carbon steel swords. )

--Although there WAS one incident about 6 months ago when SOMEONE grabbed every house's trash-can (they're all identical, from the trash pickup company) and lined them up to block a side-street off my road. We're talking maybe 30 of them. It was WEIRD!

 

[lady_space]

There is, on the cat thing.. No self respecting alarm company would sell one that goes off with pet movement. there's a certain size of an object that must be moving for a certain amount of time before it goes off.

Not necessarily... our cockatiel would set ours off way back when I lived in Florida w/ my dad.

My cats would probably learn how to use the thing and try to order pizza. :b

 

[Matt Crooks]

Our security system has a setting that is supposed to not detect pet movement. My 6 lbs. cat sets off one sensor everytime.

 

[beachdude]

Cool informational website on lock bumping.

http://lockbumping.org

 

[halcyonwayband@aol.com]

heh. My garage motion sensor is pretty sensitive; it goes off every once in a while for no apparent reason and I have to assume a dog or a cat (or a deer or a bunny rabbit) ambled by the front of the garage. I'd rather have it a bit too sensitive than otherwise, though.



My neighborhood seems pretty safe, too, and I'm reluctant to get a gun. (Besides, I have a crossbow and 15-20 lbs of carbon steel swords. )

--Although there WAS one incident about 6 months ago when SOMEONE grabbed every house's trash-can (they're all identical, from the trash pickup company) and lined them up to block a side-street off my road. We're talking maybe 30 of them. It was WEIRD!

That's what you get for moving to Auburn! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... =)

It's like cow-tipping, but 2008 style.

I should talk. I live in Grayson...which is pretty much the same thing. =)

 

[Diamond45]

Watch this video. Pretty scary stuff!

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/me-on-tv-again-cbs-channel-5-evening-news-feb-2007/2689571447

I had to see it to believe it, but it is rather easy to do!