Yesterday, my apartment neighbor was robbed. I didn’t realize it at the time until I overheard him talking to the maintenance worker outside. The maintenance guy said there was nothing they could do to secure the door since there was no visible damage.
I actually saw the suspect. He was carrying a Little Caesars box, so I didn’t suspect a break-in. I briefly noticed him sliding something that looked like a card along the edge of the door, and I assumed he was just leaving a receipt. He ended up leaving afterward. Apparently, he came back at some point without me noticing, based on what the maintenance worker said this morning.
I’m looking for advice on how to prevent this type of break-in. I’m more concerned about break-ins when I’m not home. I already have cameras and an ADT wireless system, but I’m curious if things like safety latches would be allowed in apartments. I’m in Texas, and the law already requires us to have a deadbolt that locks from the inside without an external key, along with the standard outside deadbolt (so, two deadbolts). Any suggestions would be appreciated.
It seems like the deadbolt wasn’t locked. Sliding a credit card down a door frame has been a trick in cop movies since the 70s, but it only works on poorly installed door knob locks, not on deadbolts.
yea that had me confused as well. I didnt think such a thing would work, but then again Im pretty ignorant to home security lol. He insists that he locked it but Im sort of thinking he forgot to lock it.
Put a credit card skimmer on your door, that way if they try this you can rob them right back!
The door was left unlocked and the opportunistic criminal got lucky, I wouldn’t worry about it if you lock your deadbolt every day.
You can prevent this issue by always locking your deadbolt.
The card trick works on doorknobs that aren’t properly installed. There’s a dead latch designed to sit on top of the strike plate and prevent this from happening. However, in many places I’ve lived, the latch has been installed so that the door can close “too far,” allowing the dead latch to fit into the strike plate hole and making it possible to shim the door open. It’s so common for these to be installed incorrectly that the knob often seems only useful for keeping the door from blowing open. A deadbolt, on the other hand, cannot be bypassed this way, so using it is your best solution.
He probably used one of these
- fire pik
- under the door tool
- card bypass tool
“Carding” a door only works on knob latches that are improperly installed (and installing an exterior door perfectly is nearly impossible due to weather changes), and it won’t work on a properly used deadbolt. However, it’s possible they could have also bumped or picked the deadbolt and then used the card trick on the knob latch to gain access. The best approach is to use pick-resistant locks and, if you’re worried about the ones installed by maintenance, see if your building allows a professional to install higher-quality locks.
Sounds like a sneaky move by the perpetrators! Good thing you spotted him in action. Adding extra security layers is never a bad idea. Look into door jammers or door security bars; they’re usually allowed in apartments and add another obstacle for would-be burglars. Also, reinforcing the door frame with longer screws can make it harder to kick in.
Since you’ve already got cameras and an ADT system, you’re on the right track. Maybe talk to your landlord about upgrading the locks or installing a peephole camera for extra peace of mind.