It is not easy to break into or be successful... Success stories all revolve around extreme passion.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - 1...2...3...4...5...6. As fast as it took for you to count to 6, a burglar can break into your garage.We were stunned by the video we found on YouTube showing how quickly someone armed only with a wire hanger can maneuver the wire through the door and hook the emergency release lever on the other side.Garage doors have levers that allow them to be opened manually in case power is lost. Burglars, standing outside your garage, have figured out a way to use the hanger to pull down the release or to hook the red string that dangles from the lever. Once it is released, the garage door can be opened by hand from the outside.Sgt. Shannon Hartley with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says residential burglaries are a problem here in Jacksonville. He says there is no way of knowing how many of them involve the wire method, but says in the last 12 months there have been 142 burglaries, during which the crook entered through a garage door or a front porch.
"We see very creative ways to commit crimes and new ways to commit crimes all the time," said Hartley.There are a few businesses that sell garage locking systems that prevent these kind of break-ins. We talked with the creator of the Elocksys Garage Door Lock. He recorded the video of how quickly a burglar can break into a garage door. He says people need to know how fast it can happen so they can protect themselves. The garage door lock system he sells allows a homeowner to deadbolt their garage via remote each time they leave the house. It costs about $250. We found an inexpensive way to prevent this type of break-in. You can use a zip tie to fasten the emergency release lever to the garage door track to prevent it from being pulled open. A package of zip ties costs about $5 at the hardware store.Other suggests to protect your garage:Sgt. Catherine Payne with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office tells us burglars will often look for garage door openers inside cars parked outside homes.
They will break into the cars to get the openers knowing few people remember to lock the door that leads from the garage into their house. This gives burglars easy access to your valuables. Her suggestion is to always lock this door. Another tip, JSO Sgt. Hartley says when he worked in burglary, he was able to return many more stolen items if the victim had given him the serial number of the items that were stolen or if they had left a distinguishing mark on the item. He suggests you take the time to write these numbers down and keep them in a safe place, just in case.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.High-tech locks — fingerprint, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi enabled systems — are transforming the way you enter your home, threatening to make house keys as obsolete as rotary phones.But do these easy-access locks make your home more secure? Do they add value? Or will next week’s bright idea make these fancy entry systems passé before you pay them off?
Keyless locks are great for tech-savvy homeowners, says Marianna Perry, a former director of the National Crime Prevention Institute. But the latest isn’t the greatest for someone who struggles to keep up with each “smart” gizmo that comes down the pike. If you still can’t program your DVR to record “Downton Abbey,” keyless locks probably aren’t for you.“The lock needs to fit the user,” Perry says.The Latest LocksBiometric: Locks that recognize your fingerprints and open with a swipe of your finger. Key fob (proximity lock): Carry a fob in your pocket, and these locks open automatically or with a simple tap; or press the fob button and unlock the door as soon as you pull into the driveway. Smart phone-controlled: Your smart phone syncs with your lock via Bluetooth, enabling you to control entrance remotely and keep track of who comes and goes. Some locks recognize your phone and open automatically as you approach. Some will text you when someone else opens the door.
Surveillance lock: Combines easy access with surveillance and takes a picture of whoever opens your door. You can program codes for specific people, and the lock will offer a warm LED greeting when they arrive. Keyless Locks Add Marketability“It’s a sales tool,” says Robert Siciliano, a security expert for Schlage locks. Siciliano’s home is outfitted with a touchpad lock that glows blue and can be activated via cellphone.“The first thing people see when they walk to my door is that touchpad, and they want to know all about it,” Siciliano says. Do High-Tech Locks Make Your House More Secure?Burglars mostly enter your home through an unlocked door or by forcing open a window or door. In fact, criminals admit that security systems with camera surveillance — not locks (smart or otherwise) — are the biggest deterrent against burglaries.“Burglars are criminals of opportunity,” says Glen Mowrey, a retired North Carolina deputy police chief. “They’re looking for the least resistance.”
A biometric deadbolt lock, which scans fingerprints, can cost $300 and be less secure than “Consumer Reports’” top-rated Medeco Maxum 11WC60L, a regular keyed lock that costs $190. In CR tests, the Medeco Maxum defied forced entry — the most common type of home break-in — better than the high-tech locks tested.“Smart locks are more convenient, but not any stronger than regular locks,” says Joey Lachausse of the Associated Locksmiths of America.In fact, some smart locks are easier to defeat and can be more annoying to use than traditional locks:In testing, a team of British lock hackers easily opened a fingerprint-reading lock by inserting a paperclip into its backup key chamber.During a power outage, some electronic locks fail or disengage, forcing you to use a backup key — but then your system isn’t keyless, is it?Circuit boards that control electronic locks can fail.Top Security TipsReplace hollow-core wood exterior doors with solid wood or steel doors.Reinforce wood door jambs with additional steel plates, which make the door harder to kick in.