Lock advice for parking garage

[Sinan]

Hello,

I just had a quick question, My sister in Edmonton lives in an apartment building where they are continualy getting their underground parking broken into and having car windows smashed so the thieves can loot the cars (My sister has taken to leaving the car windows down and removing valuables). This has been going on for a few monthes and the thieves are either picking the lock or using a key to get in. Any suggestions on security improvements to stop this? Thanks.

Sinan

[LockNewbie21]

Well if there picking thats better for you, simply go to any spy store online and set up hidden cameras on all possible angles, then just kick back pop open a cold on and wait for them to make a move, ofcourse dont run down and try and pop um a good one in the ace just take the tape to the police, odds are if it is as serious as you say police will disclose the video over the local news and find the criminals and then i doubt anyone will return. Rember use the car as bait.. set up the cameras and bam there done, then let the police do the dirty work.


Hope i helped buddy,
andy

[p1ckf1sh]

This has been going on for a few monthes and the thieves are either picking the lock or using a key to get in. Any suggestions on security improvements to stop this? Thanks.

This is something the building owner has to take care of. You should tell her to request the owner to exchange locks for models with higher security (i.e. more pick-resistance, use the search function to find out which manufacturers/models are hard to pick). If the problem persists, this is pretty good evidence the thief is an insider (that has the key). Put up a camera then to get the guy recorded. I am not sure which legal problems might have to be resolved before putting up a a camera surveillance system.

[illusion]

How many people have keys? could somebody with intent to steal have access to the keys?

Get a lever lock - most people outside the UK will just scratch their heads trying to figure out WTH is going on.

[Shrub]

Hide in the trunk with a baseball bat

[LockNewbie21]

Cameras are good but i agree with shrub lol baseball bats work even better sometimes, or to be an ass take all the empty boxes you can find from TV's radios ooo ipods might be nice there little you can fit a hundreds little boxes in the car, then hide and laugh.. witha baseball bat ofcourse you know jsut in case



Andy

[Buggs41]

Slap a bumper sticker on it that says it is a bait car.

[maxxed]

A building owner is always concerned with the cost of the solution, and they are usually of the opinion that "it's just kids who can't be charged so what's the point". Video systems are seldom installed because the cost of doing it properly is higher than expected.

[eric343]

Hello,

I just had a quick question, My sister in Edmonton lives in an apartment building where they are continualy getting their underground parking broken into and having car windows smashed so the thieves can loot the cars (My sister has taken to leaving the car windows down and removing valuables). This has been going on for a few monthes and the thieves are either picking the lock or using a key to get in. Any suggestions on security improvements to stop this? Thanks.

Sinan

If you unlock the garage with the same key that unlocks your apartment, the lock on the garage may only have two or three pins in it and therefore be quite easy to pick. The solution here is easy -- have a locksmith rekey the lock to operate off only one key plus the master, and give every resident a "Garage" key. And tell him to put some security pins in it!

This may not solve the problem if the theives have a key or if you have a separate garage key. The theives' key may have been surreptiously copied from a resident, or the thieves may be in cahoots with a resident.

Possible solutions:

• Code- or card-entry locks with an audit trail feature. Give every person a different code or card.
• An inexpensive network-attached camera with a motion-sensing feature in software to start recording when motion is detected. Point it at the door from the inside, have the footage recorded on a computer in a fairly secure location.

[datagram]

I don't see why everyone thinks these people are picking the locks to get in. If they are smashing the car windows once they are inside, it is assumable that they are just smashing something else to get into the garage, no?

If you have the skills to pick the door, why not pick the cars with auto jigglers?

[eric343]

I don't see why everyone thinks these people are picking the locks to get in. If they are smashing the car windows once they are inside, it is assumable that they are just smashing something else to get into the garage, no?

If you have the skills to pick the door, why not pick the cars with auto jigglers?

I suspect the auto burglar(s) are either residents or have obtained keys from residents. It's possible that they're picking the locks, of course, but it seems unlikely.

[jordyh]

I suspect the auto burglar(s) are either residents or have obtained keys from residents. It's possible that they're picking the locks, of course, but it seems unlikely.

Sounds convincing to me.
I'd go for eric343's possible solutions, those will both identify everyone that enters the premises.

Means that if it's a resident or co-worker, their name will be registered. If they are just people with keys, they'll have nothing to stick the key in, same goes for picks.

I like it.

Yours,

Jordy

[Sinan]

well, thank you for all the replies and the various solutions (only the ones that don't put me in danger of bodily harm) I'll link this site to my sis and maybe advise her to speak with the builing owner.

[raimundo]

Is this thief after your sisters car? does this person have a grudge against a particular car. do some of the cars have a security system that will start the horn honking? You would have to get the landlord to play along to mount cameras on his property, but if your sisters car is not specifically targeted, look for a camera that may be installed in her car, with a view toward one or other of the entrances from where she parks. Hows the lighting in that garage, the dark areas are where your culpret will be hanging out, Does this happen in completely random time, day night weekend, If there is a pattern, this would indicate that your guy may be from outside the building, and visiting according to his schedule, but if its totally random, it's possible that he lives in the building, is there an obvious misanthrope in the building?