Flatirons Locksmiths: Colorado Crime–My Valuables Are Safe…Aren’t They?

Here in the great state of Colorado, we’re lucky to be blessed with a lower-than-national-average crime rate.

According to NeighborhoodScout.com, which compiles crime statistics for cities and states, your chances of being a victim of a break-in in Boulder are less than the national average. And, of course, rural areas like Louisville, Lafayette, Erie, Niwot & Superior have even better statistics than that.

Does that mean that you should just leave the doors and windows unlocked and hang a neon-pink “Be Back Later” sign on your front door when you take a vacation?

Um, no.

Homes are burglarized every 15 seconds in the United States, according to the San Jose Police Department. And, in Boulder, every year there are more than 450 reports of burglary, 900 reports of vandalism, and 90 reports of vehicle theft. Those numbers are from the City of Boulder website, and can be found here.

There are several ways you can help crime statistics like these continue to shrink. For property and vehicle theft, prevention is the cure.

For your home, one of the best things you can do is to install a deadbolt. Remember, your door is only as good as the locks on it. If this seems like a really simple solution, it is. Installing a deadbolt is quick, painless, and not bad on the budget (well, if you call us at Flatirons Locksmiths it is all those things, we can’t of course speak for the competition!)

Remembering to use that deadbolt is the second most important thing you can do. An astonishing 40 percent of burglaries in the US each year are not forced-entry. That means the burglar was able to basically walk right in. Leaving your home unlocked is tantamount to hanging a sign on your door that says “Hey bad guys, free stuff!” Most people only use the deadbolt on their door at night which is a good thing to do of course but getting into the habit of using it when you go out is even better. Relying on the door knob alone to restrict access to your home is not a good idea as door knobs can be fairly easily broken off your door if someone wants in whereas a deadbolt is far more secure and cannot be tampered with as easily.

For your automobile, again, simply locking the car will eliminate the majority of opportunistic thievery. And, as you can guess, locking the car but leaving the windows open wide enough for a miscreant to put a hand or jimmy through won’t do you much good either.

A visible theft deterrent for your car is a steering wheel lock, which you can find at an auto parts store or order online. These fit onto your steering wheel and make it impossible for thieves to use the car unless they first disable the lock. Most car boosters won’t be interested in spending the extra time to do that, so they’ll leave your car alone.

If you’d like more tips on how not to be a victim of property or car theft, or for any of your lock-related needs in the Boulder area, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Flatirons Locksmiths operates in Boulder & Broomfield County in Colorado, answering calls to Boulder co, Broomfield co, Superior co, Louisville co, Lafayette co, Erie co, Niwot co & Longmont co. We look forward to serving you! Call us at 303-586-6496.