It is in the thick of the holiday season and with it comes an increased amount of shopping, gift giving and valuables lying around the home. While the holiday season is a great opportunity to spend time with loved ones, it also presents a great opportunity for thieves to get into your home and steal your gifts and other valuables. This time of year always experiences a spike in home break ins and burglary. Unfortunately we are not all prepared for the worst or even know how to identify if someone has already attempted to get into our home without us even being aware.
Lock Inspection
There are certain signs you can look for to see if your locks have been tampered with or not. If they have been, maybe it is time to take a few extra measures when it comes to the security of your home. If your locks have not been tampered with, then you may be counting yourself lucky and that may motivate you to install additional levels of security throughout your property and home. If you recognize that a lock has been tampered with, it is important to stay calm and assess the situation the best you can.
Brute Force Home Attack
The most common type of unauthorized entry is brute force. Brute force is the messiest, most destructive type of unauthorized entry that your home may experience. Brute force usually involves the criminal bashing your locks, drilling through a dead bolt, or simply kicking the door in. A criminal that uses brute force is usually also known for destroying property within the home while looking for valuables. Signs of brute force include bent dead bolts, bent latches, warped doors and warped door frames. Pry marks are also common to see when brute force has been used to gain entry into a home.
Use of Lock Bumping Key
One of the most common techniques a criminal will use to get into your home is called lock bumping. Lock bumping is when a burglar will file down the teeth of a key into several points. The criminal will insert this key into a lock on your home and remove it one click, they then will strike it abruptly with a blunt object and repeat this over and over until the lock tumblers have all caught. Finally, they turn the key and open the door.