Lock Snapping – The Questions & Answers
Q.1 – How many burglaries are carried out by lock snapping in Staffordshire?
A.1 – It’s difficult to put an exact figure on the amount because not all crimes are recorded but recent estimates show that between 25-30% of all burglaries are carried out by a criminals snapping the lock.
Q.2 – What type of doors in Staffordshire are affected by lock snapping?
A.2 – The type of doors affected by lock snapping are UPVC (Single & double) & composite doors, it also affects some aluminium, steel and wooden doors, basically anything that uses a euro cylinder type of lock to activate the locking mechanism. The problem with these euro cylinders is that they can be snapped with very little force.
Q.3 How many doors in Staffordshire are affected by this problem?
A.3 These types of locks are fitted to millions of homes and business’s throughout the UK.
Q.4 – Does this affect just older doors.
A.4 – No these types of locks are still being fitted on new properties & are readily available in DIY stores.
Q.5 – I have a multi-point locking mechanism on my door, so am I protected?
A.5 No, this is a common misconception – The multi-point mechanism only protects against someone trying to force (push open) your door. When you lift the handle you see/hear the bolts shoot out, it looks and sounds great…..it makes you feel safe. But here’s the problem – these types of doors rely on a device called a Euro Cylinder to activate the locking mechanism. Approx. 90% of Euro Cylinders are vunerable to attack because they can be snapped off with very little force. This then allows the burglar to gain access to the locking mechanism
Q.6 – I have a multi-point locking mechanism on my door, so am I protected?
A.6 No, this is a common misconception – The multi-point mechanism only protects against someone trying to force (push open) your door. When you lift the handle you see/hear the bolts shoot out, it looks and sounds great…..it makes you feel safe. But here’s the problem – these types of doors rely on a device called a Euro Cylinder to activate the locking mechanism. Approx. 90% of Euro Cylinders are vulnerable to attack because they can be snapped off with very little force. This then allows the burglar to gain access to the locking mechanism.
Q.7 – Do you need special tools to snap the lock?
A.7 – No, these locks break with very little force and can be snapped using normal DIY tools.
Q.8 – What’s the answer to this problem
A.8 – There are a number of ways to protect your property but the easiest solution is to fit something called an ANTI-SNAP (SNAP-SAFE) lock, the difference between this type of lock & a standard lock is that they have built in protection devices to help prevent this type of crime. The most common protection device is that they have a weak point at the end of the cylinder so if there is an attempted burglary then just the end of the lock breaks off & most of the lock stays within the door, this helps protect the mechanism from being attacked.
Q.8 – Are there any other ways to protect against locks snapping?
A.9 – Yes, we can supply and fit a PAS24. 2 STAR handle and/or Sash Jammers to your door and when fitted along with an ANTI-SNAP lock offer an extremely high level of protection against burglaries of this type.
Q.9 – How do I know if I’ve already got an ANT-SNAP / Snap Safe Lock?
A.9 – Unless you requested ANTI-SNAP Locks when your doors were fitted then the likelihood is that you only have standard locks.
Q.10 How do I know if I’ve already got an Anti Snap Lock?
A.10 – Unless you requested an Anti Snap Lock then the likelihood is that you wont have one. If you send a photo of your lock to ANTI SNAP Locks Staffordshire then we should be able to let you know if you already have an Anti Snap Lock.
Please feel free to contact us if you require any additional information about Lock Snapping and Anti Snap Locks.