Crime Statistics - Hazelwood 8/14/09-9/13/09

We present the Crime Statistics for the Hazelwood area reported by Hazelwood Police Department for the last month.

The breakdown is listed below.

You can now find out the exact statistics for your individual street (if your local police department releases that information, to this source), by typing your street name into the search bar on the sources website.

Break and Enter - 18

Robbery - 1

Theft - 148

Vehicle Theft - 11

Alarm Response - 97

Domestic Disturbance - 46

Missing Person Reports - 14

Trespass - 2

Weapons/Shots Fired -7

While we are primarily concerned with the increasing or decreasing rates of Alarm Responses, Thefts, Robberies and Break and Enters, the above lists include attendances by Hazelwood Police Department.

In referrence to Alarm Responses particularly, there were 97 occasions where Hazelwood Police Department attended as a result of a monitored alarm activation. This also indicates 97 invoices issued by the police for alarm responses. I wonder if alarm system installers and monitoring companies disclose that residents will receive a police invoice for services rendered, as an inclusion in their sales spiel to customers. I seriously doubt it.

Daring Raid On Apple Store

Below, you will see a news article about a daring raid on an Apple store, by 5 criminals who break in and ransack the store is 31 seconds. They got away with 23 Macbook Pro's, 14 IPhones and 9 IPod touches.

For products that will effectively prevent this type of break in, contact us.

MUL-T-LOCK CLIQ - Vibrated open

The transponder technology industry has progresses toward the introduction of Chip Keys for homes and offices now.

The industry is in it's infancy still but progress is starting to reduce the very high price for this unproven technology.

Assa-Abloy, the world's largest manufacturer of security locking products, including (the recently bumped and picked) Medeco and Mul-t-lock product lines, already introduced the Cliq product line to consumers.

Here is one reason why the technology is still infantile...

Obviously, it helps to have an existing key, but as such, it is not necessary as without a battery, the lock relies on a mechanical component that is easily defeated, as shown above.

On a $ for $ value proposition, Bilock is unbeatable in aesthetics, price and cross-hardware use.

Bilock Deadbolt - SALE! SALE! SALE!

Thanks for your patience.

We are pleased to announce our September Special.

Bilock 4301QC-US3 deadbolts on sale $85.00 each

Polished Brass Finish only with 2 keys, while stocks last.

All Bilock products are restricted access. You will be required to provide a specimen signature prior to goods despatched. This is to enable future key requests.

Add To Cart

New Website

We realize that it has certainly been a long time coming, but we finally decided to build a specific website rather than just using this blog to advertise our business.

There seem to be some inherent difficulties using a blog as the main portal to a company's online image.

There is no doubting that blogs definitely provide the internet with quality content, but unfortunately the internet market has not warmed to them as company websites.

They definitely are warmed by the quantity and quality of the content, with many blogs enjoying superb rankings in search engines. Many blog sites, will convey the searched for messages or information and include a link to the company master website. It could be said that blogs are fueling the web (with content).

Our new site that is still in construction is www.st-louis-locksmiths.com and we invite our readers to visit and offer suggestions (here) on how you think it can be improved.

Thanks.

Why Dont You Make Car Keys?

It is perhaps one of the most common questions I get these days.

For a great many years, I worked with companies that offered automotive locksmithing service works. I managed one companies busiest automotive locksmithing service department. I wore myself out making keys to vehicles, rekeying vehicles, repairing worn or damaged locking mechanisms.

In the late eighties, the automobile manufacturers were forced by insurers through government lobbying to increase the security of all vehicles. Insurers were inundated with regular claims from motorists to replace their stolen vehicles. The insurance companies found this to be a huge and increasing cost to them and were preventing them from making greater profits.

When Texas Instruments produced some new intelligent and inexpensive electronic components, the insurance companies jumped all over the new technology and saw it as their best chance to reduce the payouts they were having to make.

The transponder industry grew from that time and this resulted in the stolen vehicle statistics dropping like a rock. The insurance companies were all of a sudden, saving billions of dollars by reducing claims for stolen vehicles.

This is because it has become virtually impossible to move a vehicle equipped with modern transponder "Chip Key" technology, unless the correctly programmed "Chip Key" is recognized by the vehicles on board computer.

I was talking to the fellow to whom I refer my automotive calls today. He told me that business is brisk, but he is continually pumping money into the latest machinery and diagnostic equipment, in order to be able to continue to offer the services. His latest spend is for <$10,000 for equipment especially designed to produce keys for Volkswagen, Porsche, Mercedes vehicles. These modern vehicle manufacturers, regularly change their onboard vehicle transponder technologies and service companies are consequently forced to update their equipment, to be able to provide customer services.

If I wanted to be able to offer automobile keys, as a part of my locksmith business, I would be forced to spend approximately $20,000.00 just to get set up initially. That is for machinery only. I would still be required to purchase inventory of keyblanks and chips. Then there is the required diagnostic equipment necessary to program all the different makes of cars.

Add to this the ongoing cost of purchasing the updates for new vehicles and the costs soar.

When costs soar, this directly implies that the retail price (the price the customer has to pay for their key) increases accordingly.

It is common for some charges to be upward of $500 - $700 to make new keys for some cars,

It is common for duplicate car keys to cost as little as $75, but the greater majority cost between $100 - $150 for each key.

It is awkward and sometimes embarassing when a potential customer calls me wanting new or additional keys for their new jalopy, expecting that "every locksmith" can make keys to anything. I have worked in this industry for close to 30 years and it pains me to have to say "NO". My customers usually understand when I explain the facts to them, but I cringe because it is business that I know I am missing out on and the other business that comes from it too.

When a customer calls up and asks how much to cut my car key? If I were to quote a "very high" price, just to give the impression that I do that sort of work, with the hope that the customer simply refuses to pay my prices, I believe I am doing a monumental disservice to them and to myself.

Then what happens when a client calls me on it? (they are prepared to pay my price) - The egg on my face is not worth the trouble.

This is Why I Do Not Make Car Keys!

Locked Out in St Louis 314-266-1533

St Louis Locksmiths - Locks210.com unlock doors for stranded motorists and householders.

I receive quite a few calls from stranded customers, facing being locked out of their car or house or office.

Often this is due to the cleaning lady, locking the bottom knob. Many customers will lock their deadbolts but often not the knobset underneath. Probably because the lock is not on the same key and they dont want to carry 2 different keys for the same door.

But when you might have an unfamiliar person attempt to "help" you by making sure your door is secure, this often times causes the locked out situation. You'd be surprised how often this occurs.

Other times are when the turn button in the knob has accidently been partially turned. The knob is always unlocked on the inside but you do not realize that the knob is locked on the outside.

That is where I come in. Like a white knight on a white steed, I arrive quickly and effortlessly open your door, saving you from the heat or cold, helping you to feel better.

We prefer to serve our customers by appointment, however we realize that people rarely lock themselves out on purpose. We will attend to emergencies although we do not advertize as an emergency service.

Over the years, I have seen many advertisements for Emergency Locksmiths and 24 Hour/7 Days service, but too often I have found that many of these companies refuse to answer the phone after 5pm. Why advertize 24 Hour Service if you are not going to do it?

Residential Biometric Fingerprint Locks

I have been extolling the benefits of fingerprint identification locks for a little while now, but recently I have learned by trial and error (some costly errors), that many of the more popular fingerprint scanners used in fingerprint locks have difficulty in recognizing fingerprints of people over the age of 60.

This is very unfortunate and, I suggest a serious setback for mainstream acceptance of fingerprint locks for residential uses.

The problem lies in the ability of the scanner to read the fingerprints. You see, as people age, the tips of our fingers wear, making accurate differentiation of prints, significantly more difficult.

When attempting to program a recently installed fingerprint deadbolt, I was attempting to help an 88 year old to program her fingers into the unit. The application was for an internal cupboard with the desire to make it secure, but not have to carry a key or remember a combination, a task that many elder people find debilitating due to memory loss. You cant lose your finger* though.

Unfortunately the application will require a digital deadbolt, to ensure the user can operate it.