At 7:55pm Friday night, thieves broke into a Kerrisdale home by kicking the front door off of its hinges.
Using either a long screwdriver or crowbar, the crook(s) pried one panel of the front double doors at the hinge side and then kicked it in (the thieves used the hinge side because there already was a pry-plate covering the space between the two doors). Both the door and lock held, but the thin door frame snapped and the entire door crashed into the foyer.
Once inside, they went to the master bedroom and pulled out the drawers in the bedside tables, went through the closet and pulled the bed out in an effort to find valuables hidden under the bed.
As described in my post about the typical residential burglary, the most common method for thieves to gain entry to Westside homes is through the front door. For this particular burglary, our response time was four minutes, which meant that the thieves did not get a chance to go anywhere else in the house. It was still long enough though for them to go through the majority of the master bedroom… Luckily, our client had taken our five minute proofing advice and they did not lose anything of value in the burglary.
What have you got to lose in your room?
The most important lesson to be learned is that you must five-minute proof all of your most important belongings. Check out this post about how to five-minute proof in your home.
With respect to providing more physical security for the front door itself, the most important consideration for both your strike plates and hinges is that they are fastened using 6” inch screws that enter the 2×4 or 2×6 backing. Without exception, the screws that come with the hinges or the door are not good enough.
In addition, consider having an interlocking strike plate at the same height as the deadbolt to help reduce the chances of a crook being able to get a screwdriver or crowbar in between the door and frame.
Lastly, consider having a second high security deadbolt installed about two feet off of the ground to provide additional security should someone try to kick in the door.
Another tactic that a lot of our clients have used is to install a deadbolt on the master bedroom door. Locking the master bedroom door adds an extra level of physical security in your home and helps to five minute proof the valuables in your room.
If you are looking for a good locksmith, many of our clients have given positive feedback about Derek Pickering at Lockmasters (604.270.8890) and Dave Lambert at A-OK Locksmith (604-451-3399).
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