How often have are locks picked compared to forced entry or lock cutting buy thieves?

[lockpickler]

I am interested to see how often locks are actually picked by thieves, are the rumors you hear about lockpicking being a criminal activity real or os that overstated and the average thief just cuts locks or breaks windows or uses other forceful entry techniques when it comes to theft?

[Aidokea]

Why are you asking?

[lockpickler]

I just want to know if it is a technique used by thieves. Should I worry about getting locks that are more pick-resistant or is that not really a risk?

[Bing_Oh]

While I'm sure it's possible, I've never seen a thief pick a lock. Thieves either force entry or people are kind enough not to lock their stuff up.

[just joe]

If something is locked -- and that's a big if -- entry is forced.

[not.in.MY.town]

I just want to know if it is a technique used by thieves. Should I worry about getting locks that are more pick-resistant or is that not really a risk?

"Dammit! This is a pick-resistant lock. I guess I'll go find a lock that's easier to pick." --- said no thief ever.

[Aidokea]

While I'm sure it's possible, I've never seen a thief pick a lock. Thieves either force entry or people are kind enough not to lock their stuff up.

Same here...

[LA DEP]

I dont remember ever seeing a lock picked.....

Tons of doors kicked, windows broken, and locks cut off with 'universal keys' though

[Bing_Oh]

I dont remember ever seeing a lock picked.....

Tons of doors kicked, windows broken, and locks cut off with 'universal keys' though

My favorite is the car break-in victim who INSISTS that they locked their car and someone MUST have picked the lock. Yea, I'm sure there's a master catburglar wandering the neighborhood dressed in black wearing a domino mask who picked the lock on your car to steal the $3 in change in your cupholder...

[not.in.MY.town]

My favorite is the car break-in victim who INSISTS that they locked their car and someone MUST have picked the lock. Yea, I'm sure there's a master catburglar wandering the neighborhood dressed in black wearing a domino mask who picked the lock on your car to steal the $3 in change in your cupholder...

^^^ This...followed by a demand that "CSI" be called in to dust for prints and to check cigarette butts in the vicinity for DNA.

[Dinosaur32]

Lock pickers are big city criminals. They work hotels and office buildings when and if they can get in quietly. We’d see them in NYC around the political conventions or other big events. The cops would drag in whichever ones they could find and the courts would hold them until the event was over. Most residential burglaries are smash and grabs.

[scotty_appleton814]

While I'm sure it's possible, I've never seen a thief pick a lock. Thieves either force entry or people are kind enough not to lock their stuff up.

I've had a guy Jimmy an old car lock.

[tanksoldier]

Lock picking is usually done when the intruder doesn’t want the entry detected. It happens in espionage, governmental and industrial, far more than theft... the theft will be indicated by the missing items anyway.... and it is a high level skill that requires maintenance.

In those thefts where lock picking is used, it is often undetected... many may assume they simply forgot to lock the door, or “method of entry unknown”... so saying for certain that “lock picking is used in x% of thefts” is probably impossible.

In the modern era data is the most valuable item, and data is stored electronically. Gaining physical access is almost never required, except for certain high level processors with no outside connections.... and to gain access to those lock picking is the least of the problems.

So, yes lock picking is a thing and it does happen... but not nearly as often as TV and books would have you think.

[Aidokea]

My favorite is the car break-in victim who INSISTS that they locked their car and someone MUST have picked the lock. Yea, I'm sure there's a master catburglar wandering the neighborhood dressed in black wearing a domino mask who picked the lock on your car to steal the $3 in change in your cupholder...

...and because entering a vehicle to steal something is a felony (even for $3), I now have to take photos, dust for prints, make checks for witnesses, take statements, check for security cameras, and spend a couple of hours typing up a nice pretty felony report. I wish we could just give them $3 and then carry on with our day.

Bonus points for them calling up after you've done all that, to tell you that they forgot they had given the $3 to someone and they don't need police assistance with the matter after all...

[angeredmgmt]

I don't ever remember a case I've worked where a lock was determined to have been picked. I don't even think we had one of those key bumps. Forced entry or unlocked locks was all I remember.

I was locked out of my new house about a year ago, and the builder, who was also a locksmith, worked forever on my front and back doors, but wasn't able to get in. I had to call a locksmith, and he worked for a long time without ever being able to get in. He ended up breaking the door knob mechanism to gain entry. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it surely isn't nearly as common as seen on TV/movies.