Satan130 wrote:n2oah wrote:Pros:Quick and easy opening for most locks
Cons: Damage caused by bump keys is usually easily detected, prolonged use of bump keys can damage or destroy locks.
really? what i had heard was police were having an extremely difficult time accurately estimating the number of bump key related thieveries because the key left little to no remnants of it's existence, and knowing how a lock works, i can't think of why it would.
Although there are bulletins sent out to law enforcement and training is given to detectives assigned to burglary investigation units, the average patrol officer does not have the training necessary to detect if a bump key was used. In fact the majority of officers would not be able to tell you what a bump key is. Most burglary reports will be taken by a patrol officer, unless there is a reason for a detective to be called out (high dollar loss, rash of burglaries in an area, etc).
A patrol officer will look at the lock and if it appears there is any damage to it from the impact of the bump key and there is no other possible entry point, they will write a report that indicates "lock was forced." They will not indicate it was "bumped or picked."
Also since bump keys or picking for that matter is used in so few home burglaries it isn't something the police focus on. The bulk of burglaries have some forced entry and it is actually pretty easy to determine. It is much easier to pop open a window with a screw driver than learn how to bump a lock.
