No matter how prepared you are for a break-in, intruders are one step ahead of you. Like many professionals, burglars have a multitude of tools at hand while “working.” Most of the items they misuse are common, off-the-shelf tools you use in your own home or business. Take a look at some of the tools you might find on a burglar’s tool belt.
Tools for breaking and entering
You’re sound asleep. Suddenly, the phone rings. Your Jacksonville business alarm monitoring company is on the other line. Their system shows an open door and a broken window. You’ve been struck by a common criminal, who used a common crowbar to enter your facility.
Crowbars are the simplest machine around. They use leverage to multiply the amount of force you exert. While you use a crowbar to pull a stubborn nail or move a heavy object, a burglar uses it to pry open doors and windows.
Since the end of a crowbar is tapered and meant to shove in small spaces, all a criminal has to do is hammer it (made easier by its weight) between a door and a door jam. The prying and hammering motion will shred a wooden door, and once the thug gets enough leverage, pop it right out of the frame.
This tool is also easy to conceal. Smaller crowbars can be hidden in a backpack, and the longer ones usually have a hook at one end, making it easy to hang inside a long coat or pants. It’s also a brutal weapon, which can injure or kill when wielded by a violent criminal.
Tools for picking locks
A lock picking set can be bought online or at less-than-reputable retail stores. A set includes a number of shaped picks and wrenches to turn the lock once picked. Picking a lock is considerably more complicated than breaking down a door, but a skilled thief can open a door in moments and leave little evidence of the lock being tampered with. Thankfully, your Jacksonville business alarm monitoring service can detect these unauthorized entries and contact police.
More common are tools for bump-picking a door open. A specially shaped key is put in the lock, then the thief hits (or bumps) it. The action knocks the pins into place and the door is opened. This technique requires no skill. Only a specially made key (which, along with instructions, is easily accessible on the Internet) is needed.
The only defense is a pick and bump proof lock. Don’t rely on low-quality dead bolts to secure your business, spend the extra money. Combined with security cameras and Jacksonville business alarm monitoring, a thief attempting to pick the locks on your business can hopefully be identified and caught on video before they make it inside. And, if they’re caught with a lock picking device in Florida that’s been used in a crime, it’s a felony.
Finally, there are lock-out tools (commonly called a “slim jim”). Security guards, police and locksmiths use them to unlock your car. If you’ve seen one in action, you know it only takes a few seconds of wiggling and jerking to open a locked vehicle.
Power tools
So, you’ve chained and padlocked your front gate and other sensitive areas. Unfortunately, the convenience of high-powered cordless tools for legitimate work is also a benefit to burglars. An angle-grinder uses a spinning disk that easily cuts through any type of metal, and a rechargeable one easily fits in a backpack.
While it makes noise and a considerable amount of sparks, an angle grinder cuts quickly. A thief can be in your yard and headed towards your shop or vehicles in moments.
Another portable tool burglars keep close is the electric drill. After cutting any chains or padlocks, they can use an easily concealable drill as a makeshift lock pick. Or, with a screw driving bit, they can remove screens or grates that have exposed outside screws. If it’s bolted, welded or screwed down, it can be removed quickly with a portable power tool.
Miscellaneous tools on a burglar’s tool belt
Screwdrivers are pocket-sized and can be used to pry open unsecured windows and jam in car ignitions and locks. Wire cutters can cut phone lines and other security devices with exposed cables.
A can of spray-paint can render security cameras useless. Anything heavy enough can break a window; regular criminals know the best item for this is a small piece of a broken spark-plug (the porcelain is hard enough to shatter a car window.)
Securing your facility is a constant struggle, using a Jacksonville business alarm monitoring service can, at least, deter thieves, and, at most, help authorities catch them in the act.