We attended premises in Hawthorn this week to rekey all locks following a burglary. This was not your normal forced entry burglary. No doors had been kicked in, no windows broken… The owner wasn’t even entirely sure at first that she had been burgled let alone when. Soon she realised that she had been burgled not once but multiple times. One week a mobile phone that she thought she had simply misplaced totally disappeared regardless that she had pulled the house apart. Expensive perfume went missing from the bathroom – something she at first blamed on a flatmate but after the flatmate denied it and then cash from her wallet went missing when the flatmate was out of town? She knew she had a problem.
Whilst replacing the barrels in all of the deadlocks we talked with her about her general home security, who might still have a key to the property such as a previous owner or tenant. At first we all draw blank because the landlord in question was a client of ours and we had replaced the barrels prior to this tenant moving in so no previous tenant could possibly have a key. The problem must lie elsewhere.
Then the penny dropped. Our new client was a runner. She had run in several marathons and went for a run for five times a week, almost always at the same time and she ran for at least an hour each time. She didn’t like to take keys with her so she had one stashed in a pot plant out the back. The problem was of course that there was a large block of flats that could see into her backyard though she thought she was being discreet in stashing and relocating key it was pretty clear to anyone who saw her coming though that’s exactly what she was doing. It was quiet disconcerting to her to realise that her burglar was very likely a neighbour.
This is not the first time we’ve attended a property burgled because of a stashed key, it’s not the 2nd 3rd, 50th or last time either. Stashed keys are something burglars look for all the time whether they are casing your property or just sneaking round the back on the off chance there is one in a pot plant on your back porch. Our advice on stashed keys is just don’t do it. Listen to us. Expert locksmith talking. Just don’t do it.
We know a lot of running gear has no pockets for a key and even if it did who wants to run with a key bouncing around in your pocket? The solution is an armband phone and key carrier designed just for this purpose. Not only will they ensure that no one is robbing you using a static key while you are out on a run these devices can make you run so much more fun.
Your phone (assuming it’s a smart phone) can be used as an MP3 player so as you run you can listen to your favourite tunes or even the radio. For those of you who prefer to be focused on what’s around instead of listing to music whilst running your smart phone can have an app installed on it the contract your run and then you can upload that data to an application which calculates how far you ran how long it took and you can shut your progress compared with your running on other days. It’s a great way that staying motivated with your running.
So whether you’re a runner or just forgetful and you like to static key out the back think twice before doing it but if you really must do it the pot plant on the back porch is the worst possible place at any place where your neighbours can see you’ll retrieving it is about place as well.
