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[HA Dave]

Here... I started this thread sometime ago (4 years?). I believe many break ins can be prevented. I believe... it is a deserving and responsible thing to do as well.

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=13351.msg74400#msg74400

[beelocks]

According to those statistics from several years ago, most burglarous crime within the USA was committed in July and August. See table 2.25.
Residential crime was more common than non-residential crime. Figure 2.11.
The majority of residential crimes were committed between 6am and 6pm. Text.

What months are the schools closed in this country?
Where do bored kids hang out?
At what times are kids most likely to have least supervision?

Although the last paragraph states that juvenile arrests are a smaller percentage than the statistics would indicate, it also says that if an adult is part of the crime then the crime is not recorded as a juvenile event. If a 16 year old goes 'out on the rob' with a 19 year old acquaintance, it counts as an adult crime.

You'll also see that only 12.2% of forced entry attacks were 'solved' and from figure 3.1 only 12.9% of all burglaries were cleared by arrest. With these age statistics only including 12.9% of actual crimes reported it's a bit unfair to say that these crimes are NOT being committed by juveniles - the statistics on dates and times would indicate that Dave X10 could be completely correct with his 'kids' theory.

Forcible entry was by far more popular than unlawful entry, which was a complete surprise to me. However it could be that a small amount of cash stolen from a kitchen table behind an unlocked door could quite easily go unnoticed and therefore unreported.

I would be most interested in some more up-to-date information regarding break-ins where the resident (or their child) has boasted on FaceBook that they'll be at Disney for the first two weeks in July  

In my experience (25+ years of locksmithing) only around 5% of residential customers spring for anything other than the average locking system, according to the statistics only around 9% of reported forced entry is 'attempted' rather than 'successful' - does this prove that higher security locks are successful against stopping forced entry, or does the high forced entry number indicate that forced entry equally divided between high quality and low quality locking systems? Unfortunately, the statistics don't divulge that information.


With statistics you can prove almost anything - and I'm 97.376% sure of that  


Back to the OP, what you'd like is readily achievable with RF, IR or wired pushbuttons. I don't recommend it, but it's certainly within the bounds of reality. Throw a handicap door opener on and you don't even have to push the door

[HA Dave]

..... the statistics on dates and times would indicate that Dave X10 could be completely correct with his 'kids' theory.

Thanks... but it doesn't really matter. I do understand there are a few hard case oldtimers out there. Those that after spending half their lives in prison still return to the site where they did roof, concrete, gutter or whatever work... hoping to score fast easy money. I guess they are the "professionals" in that "line of work". I actually went to school with a couple of those guys. Both went off to reform school.

I've also been lucky(?) enough to have had a tour of a prison (and a jail). It was a prison for 1st time felons. The official told me that the biggest part of their  job was education. 80% of the inmates could NOT read a newspaper or fill out a job application. Not only did they try to teach the inmates to read... but they also educated them in hygiene and other such basic idles.

Right now we are having tough times... and I understand this could improve the class of criminals that take our stuff. But if it does... I don't think it will be by much.

[dhouston]

According to those statistics from several years ago...

That just happened to be the first one I found but The FBI puts out such a summary for every year. There may be a lag of a year or so but I'm sure you can find more recent ones if interested. I'm also sure they will be quite similar - I've seen others and the numbers do not change much from year to year.

You might also consider that the summer months are vacation time when houses are frequently unoccupied for a week or two.

Also, if most of the burglars are neighborhood teenagers, the kops must be really inept to catch so few of them.

Several years ago my seatmate on a trans-Atlantic flight was a deadheading pilot who was reading a book on locksmithing and who planned to go into the field when he reached the airline's mandatory retirement age. I couldn't help but think that he would have made the ideal international cat burglar for the movies.

The exploit with the RFID locks and the law enforcement facility in LA was publicized at the security conference (it may have been an early Blackhat Conference) going on at the time. The people in charge of the building were informed.

Very recently, two academics published a paper saying they had found a way to break the KeeLoq rolling code system widely used in automobile locks in a fairly short time with only a need to be in close proximity to the keyfob. The technically adept thief can now find more profitable use of his/her time stealing BMWs.

My point is the same as in all my posts to the thread - that most high-tech locks are inherently insecure and when they are reasonably secure, burglars will just break a window, so the expense is hard to justify. But, as I noted in my initial response IR operated locks are reasonably secure (because of the very short range of the IR) and quite convenient. I used them for a few years, giving keyfobs to all those who frequently came by so I did not have to hobble to the door and let them in (my spinal cord was thankful). The one I linked to is a high quality lock with a hardened deadbolt. It can be operated with a key as well. They can even be used in apartment buildings with all keyfobs programmed to open common entry doors and to common areas but each with only one entry to an individual apartment.

[HA Dave]

...... if most of the burglars are neighborhood teenagers, the kops must be really inept to catch so few of them.

I asked my Dad (a police officer) about capture rates once years ago (Dad of course is no longer with us). He said "they always get caught.... They just don't get caught everytime."

I remember repeating that to a guy many years ago... right after OJ was found not guilty (of killing his wife and her friend). Don't think for a minute that criminals don't get caught or go to prison. They do. Each and every one of them... sooner or later... for one thing or another.

[dhouston]

I believe I covered that by writing that professional burglars see occasional jail terms as "a cost of doing business". But the low clearance rates would indicate those costs are not prohibitive.

[beelocks]

the low clearance rates would indicate those costs are not prohibitive.

No disrespect, but I think your logic is slightly flawed.
The low clearance rates only indicate that not many criminals are caught.
If your point is to prove that jail terms are not prohibitive then you should be looking at re-offense after incarceration statistics - I'm 98.7% sure those numbers are readily available and I'm 99.976% sure that they'll prove you to be right at least 76.343% of the time.

IMO, jail terms are like vacations for career criminals - free rent, free food, free TV and a wealth of knowledge that you can use when you get let out early for 'good' behaviour.


Back to the original post, once more.
If you'd like to have your front door open with a simple pushbutton, you have a small chance of recovering your TV **WHEN** it gets stolen. I can point you in the right direction to do what you'd like, but I'd need a signed disclaimer first
If you'd like to have your front door open when you turn a high security key in a high security lock, you have the same small chance of recovering your TV, but I firmly believe that you are reducing your chances of having your TV stolen in the first place. I can point you in the right direction AND give you the name of an insurance agent who will hopefully cover your losses. That same insurance agent will possibly give you discounts on your policy rates for added security features such as lights and alarms. Please note that your insurance is possibly invalid if you refuse to lock your doors or have doors that are easily opened simply by pushing a single unsecured button, especially if you live in an area with a high crime rate.

Please be advised that this FREE information is (probably) worth a just a little more than you paid for it.

[HA Dave]

I believe I covered that by writing that professional burglars see occasional jail terms as "a cost of doing business". But the low clearance rates would indicate those costs are not prohibitive.

I've known a few "professional" criminals. Each and everyone never thought they'd get caught.... this time. They don't accept and plan... its really a lot more of a spur-of-the-moment lifestyle. Steal a dog here.... and resell it, shoplift when at the store, grab a jacket from a public coatrack, pickup a waitresses tip when leaving a restaurant, drive off without paying for gasoline, take anything of value that isn't nailed down.  It isn't a profession or chosen line of work. Unlike on TV.... most live in Mom's basement or with a girlfriend.

Many spend half of their adult lives in prison. Only a few percent ever sober up and catch on.

Alexander Mundy.... was just a fictional person written by screen writers and played by actor Robert Wagner in the old TV series... It takes a thief. It was good entertainment... and may have changed the way many think of burglars. But it was just a TV show. It wasn't based on real people or events.

[dhouston]

Well, I guess we travel in different circles - I've never knowingly known a professional burglar - I just saw the series of interviews with real-life incarcerated professional burglars I referred to early on. However, if you are right and they truly are such bumbling fools, one wonders why nearly 85% of burglaries go unsolved.

[HA Dave]

.... I just saw the series of interviews with real-life incarcerated professional burglars

Saw? You mean watched on TV? Watching isn't the same as seeing. I think maybe... you've watched a little too much TV... if you've started thinking it's real life.

In my position with the government I did a interview for TV. Three hours of questions, joking around, making small talk.... and filming. The 15 seconds that was shown on CNN didn't seem to have anything to do with what I remembered about the interview. The editors create what they want to show. It's TV... just TV.

........ if you are right and they truly are such bumbling fools, one wonders why nearly 85% of burglaries go unsolved.

How... would you propose the police solve those crimes? Don't tell me you've been watching cop and CSI shows too. Police do nothing to solve a comman burglary. I think they actually expect people to be smart enough not to store valuables.... and to carry insurance.

I would be willing to bet that 85% of the time... people that drink and drive... don't get caught. The same with speeders, shoplifters, people that buy (and sell) drugs. We don't live in a police state... or a TV show.

[dhouston]

Well, since this seems to have degenerated into attacks on my credibility and basic intelligence, I'll leave you with one last URL...

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_identity_theft
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuzKJJ8U7us

Make that two - I couldn't resist adding the second one. Several years ago, the University of KY used a similar setup to track RFID-tagged cattle from a helicopter.

[Alan V]

Well, since this seems to have degenerated into attacks on my credibility and basic intelligence...

Well to be fair dhouston, I think you had started the attack on credibility and basic intelligence when you posted, "As for those disdainful of the intelligence of the typical burglar, you don't know what you are talking about."

Can we move on? 

[HA Dave]

.... this seems to have degenerated into attacks on my credibility and basic intelligence, ...

Bull. Your one of the brightest and most credable stars in the Home Automation field. It's only your ideas of who robs who... that seems a little odd... compared to every fact I've ever heard or read. Only TV shows and internet hoaxes support the hacker ideas.

....Several years ago, the University of KY used a similar setup to track RFID-tagged cattle from a helicopter.

Yes... and bears in another project. Similar units are used to ID cars in automated parking lots. And your point is? These are powered units designed for such uses. This doesn't change anything! The question has been since the beginning of this thread. Who, where, when has anyone been harmed using an RFID lock (had a door lock picked/tricked/hacked) by a thief. As many years as they have been in use... I don't think you will find even ONE documented case. That in any reasonable persons outlook.... is safe.

Scaring people with campfire stories or tales of high-tech hacker-thieves may sound like fun. But false information.... on an information forum... just isn't right.

[Walt2]

Infrared operated door locks provide both good security and convenience.

• http://www.smarthome.com/5180N/IR-Remote-Controlled-Keyless-Entry-Deadbolt-Satin-Nickel-KF-01N/p.aspx

I have one of the Weiser Lock Powerbolt 3000, which is HomeLink compatible.  Seems kind-of similar.

[luke03]

RFID controller reading the RFID tag can distinguish real RFID tag and scanner, since it is likely the scanner  trying different code. RFID controller can disable itself from accepting any code for two minutes, after it sees three unsuccessful tries.

I use a RFID controller to control my garage door opener, so that when we go out biking, we only carry a RFID tag.  For two years now, we never have any issue.  To make it not visible, I took the receiver coil from inside the RFID controller, cutting the shape like coil on the wood door frame to fit the coil inside, seal the opening with hot glue, then paint it over.