Bump Keys Make Home Burglary Easy for Neighborhood Kids
These kids are growing out of control with the increasing desire to try out a bump key. They are finding easy access to “fun and adventure” by breaking into someones home and taking their belongings, as well as making easy money. This is the case in many upper class neighborhoods across the United States. There is something definitely wrong here when 10 year old children are popping locks with ease. You can find videos of children as young as 9 and 11 years old on Yahoo! and Google video picking locks without any problem by using the bump key method. How are these children doing this right under their parents noses, that’s what I want to know.
Many people across the globe are wondering if these bump keys can open more than just your home lock. The answer is a frightening “YES.” These keys are able to open not only house locks, but also mailboxes, padlocks, safes that require a key, cars, and more! Luckily for the general public, these keys can pop your car doors open, but they appear not to be able to start the ignition. If you have an older vehicle I would recommend calling a locksmith to confirm your ignition cannot be started with one of these keys.
Should these keys be made illegal? I would encourage everyone to contact their senators to ask what they plan to do about these out of hand issues. The more awareness is brought to attention, the sooner we can put the nightmare behind us. EBay is one of the few who have noticed the threat these keys are causing, and have actually banned them from being sold on their auction website. Another candidate for helping put a stop to this chaos is McGruff the Crime Dog. The realization of eliminating bump keys completely, sadly is very slim due to the fact that they can be made relatively out of any key blank with a little cutting or filing.
Bump keys are made typically by cutting every pin into its deepest factory setting. They are simply regular keys cut to demonstrate pin layouts of different brands. Research has proven that a full set of these will typically cover 95% of all locks in the United States. They are typically made from solid brass and carved from new blanks. The tips and shoulders of the keys are normally not modified.
These keys have been around for at least 25 years and were first developed in Denmark by locksmiths to disassemble cylinders quickly in the shops they worked in. Locksmiths have known about this method for many years and most despise the public awareness to their lock picking secrets.
So what can we do to help prevent our homes from this threat? The public needs to know whats happening and how to prevent it. Some simple ways to reduce your chances of being robbed are with pets, typically the noise will steer possible threats elsewhere. Another is to keep your home well lit when you’re not home as it is unlikely a criminal will chose to rob a home where someone is present. A more expensive solution is to purchase a home alarm system. However, as stated on the news, the best and most reasonable thing you can do is to purchase better locks such as MEDECO can’t be bumped. They are more expensive than a typical lock, but they can’t be picked or bumped as they don’t have bump-able pins. These locks can range around $150 or more. A pricey piece, but isn’t the well being of your home and belongings worth it? For more options with locks that can protect your home, call a local locksmith. Most locksmith companies will be able to assist you in finding a better and safe lock that fits into your budget. They will also be able to provide better detail on the benefits of each lock.
Discuss with your children that lock bumping on another persons property is a CRIME. We all need to take precautions to protect our home and families.You just may not have the only key to your home.
