Our neighborhood crime watch groups are always keeping an eye out for home burglaries and trying to track burglary trends. I understand some burglars are now using “bump-keys” to break into homes. Can you tell us what bump-keys are and how they work? And have they been used at all in our neighborhood?
A bump-key burglary occurs when a modified key is placed inside a lock and tapped with a mallet or other hard object. When the proper amount of force is applied to the key, it causes a reaction in the pins of the lock. It usually does not damage the lock, and typically the homeowner has no idea how the burglar was able to break in. Many standard locks are susceptible to these bump-keys. That said, bump-keys account for a very small percentage of home burglaries. Most burglaries are committed using force to pry or break windows, leaving obvious signs of a break-in. It’s difficult to estimate the number of bump-key burglaries in our neighborhood because this terminology is often used to reference any offense where there is no evidence of forced entry. In other words, if there are no signs of a break-in, it’s hard for us to tell if a burglar used a bump-key, or if they just used a duplicate key, or if a door was simply left unlocked. The best advice to protect your home from such a break-in is to get to know your neighbors, and watch out for each other. If you see anyone in your neighborhood acting suspicious, call 911 and report it.
