The Neighbourhood Watch that Changed Resident’s Entrance Locks

In a suburb of Edinburgh on a lovely new estate, there’s an active Neighbourhood Watch scheme.  Police and the local council inform residents at quarterly meetings about crime in their local area.  They advise on how to protect themselves.  The Neighbourhood Watch group also has a snapchat group which shares any footage of suspicious cars or attempted break-ins.  They look out for each other and look after each other.

Burglars Walk Away from Ultion

This particular estate took a very practical approach to keeping themselves safe, they all bought new locks for their exit doors.  74% of all burglaries occur by the burglar coming through the front door.  Evidence shows that the most effective action a homeowner can take is to change their locks for a three-star sold secure diamond lock.  Ultion is one of the most secure locks on the market.  We know that burglars look to see which lock is in the door and if it’s an Ultion lock, they walk away.  They know they can’t get through it.

It’s Foolish Not to Change your Locks

Alan from the Neighbourhood Watch group said,

“A couple of people on the estate had their houses broken into and their cars taken.  A colleague at work had just changed all his locks to Ultion.   When I looked into it, I agreed that Ultion was the market leader.  For what it costs and the protection it gives, it’s foolish not to change your locks.”

The Neighbourhood Watch scheme educated residents about the ease with which their houses could be burgled. The scheme educated them about lock snapping and which locks resist snapping.  The Neighbourhood Watch also explained how easy and cost effective it is to make their houses secure.

One house on the estate was burgled and the locks changed under the insurance.  The homeowner assumed, understandably, that the locks would be swapped for the most secure lock on the market.  However, as in most insurance claims they did a “like for like” swap.  These can be snapped again, giving burglars entry to the house in under ten seconds.

Now, all of these houses are secured with the Three Star Sold Secure Diamond lock, Ultion.

Neighbour Watch at its Best

Altogether, sixteen houses on the estate changed their locks to Ultion, many with the “keyed- alike” option.  This means that the homeowner can use the same key for all their doors.  Alan had a padlock as well to keep his side gate secure.

That sounds like the kind of Neighbourhood Watch that everyone would want, a whole community looking out for their family and possessions.

Brisant-Secure launches their Domestic Door Security Annual Report today. Reading it can help stop burglars entering your home.

https://www.ultion-lock.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/door-report-2018-copy.pdf

It confirms facts we all know, but I wonder if they influence what we do? We live busy lives, but a few key actions can keep your belongings safe and look after your family.

If you do one thing, remember to lock your doors.  This is the first step to stopping burglars.

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When burglars ransack your neighbour’s house, what would you do to protect your home?

I know I would be full of good intentions to make sure my home was secure.  I like to research everything thoroughly, so I’d google security options, call my mate to talk them through.  Maybe, I’d visit my neighbours to see how they protect their property.  No doubt I’d worry a lot, I just hope that I would make a decision.

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What is lock snapping?

Snapping a lock is the quickest and easiest way for a burglar to enter your home.  It is quick, easy and doesn’t require a huge amount of skill.

When I first started work in the lock business, I had never changed a lock in my life, and had no concept of the quality differences within the locks available. I watched a colleague gain entry through my front door in under 10 seconds, by snapping the lock.  He got in quicker than I could have unlocked the door with the key.

A snapped lock refers to the cylinder snapping, so however strong your door, it makes no difference. My door was a great colour, had re-enforced glass and looked very pretty. However, I needed to protect it.

Shocking, isn’t it?

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