Locksmiths in Rotherham during COVID 19

Locksmiths in Rotherham count as frontline workers

Hello there, how are you? And yes, I do mean it. It’s a question people tend to ask all the time as a greeting with no great interest in the response, but I’m finding recently that it has taken on a new meaning given the circumstances in which we are living. So I do hope you are managing in these turbulent times.

To be honest, not a lot has changed since last month, has it? A lot of us are living a Groundhog Day type existence, only without the attraction of Andie McDowell at the end of each day. We are of course doing this in order to try and keep vulnerable people and key workers safe – again, all I can recommend is you follow the latest advice from the NHS and government on this score.

As I said last month, I am still working where I can – locksmiths in Rotherham count as frontline workers because lock emergencies don’t suddenly cease happening in the face of a global pandemic. Therefore, if you are locked out, have had a break-in, or your lock has broken, leaving your house un-secure, please do still contact me and I’ll do what I can to help, whilst keeping to all social distancing guidelines of course.

Given we’re living in strange times, today I’ll have a brief look at how these may affect home security and any issues that may crop up due to this new, if hopefully temporarily, way of living.

Burglars have not been furloughed

The first thing to say is that, unfortunately it looks as if burglars have not been furloughed. The government has completely overlooked them as employees, and even though many would class themselves as self-employed, the lack of any tax records for the last 3 years rules them out of claiming on that scheme either. As such, many of the poor chaps and lady chaps are forced to keep working in these difficult times, and not always paying heed to the social-distancing rules

The good news for many households is that they have a new weapon in the fight against burglary, namely an occupied house. Because, let’s face it, even before social distancing, no one wanted to be around people all the time, and burglars are no different. By and large, they would much rather carry out a leisurely burglary in an empty house than risk entering a property where they might happen across the householder, and have to answer socially awkward questions such as “Who are you and what are you doing in my house?”

Burglars will try and break in to an occupied house

Notwithstanding the above, there are still occasions where burglars will try and break in to an occupied house, especially at times like these when there is a reduced opportunity for them to simply move on to an unoccupied property. It is important for householders not to be complacent against burglary just because they are at home. The recent warm weather saw lots of us spend time out in the back garden – a perfectly natural thing to do in order to get some fresh air, but when doing this, please do ensure that you keep your front door locked. I’d usually recommend people keep this locked all the time anyway, but it becomes even more important when the family is in the back garden and unable to hear or see any intruders.

Please also keep an eye on your windows – if these are easily accessible at the front of the house they could be a simple entry point to a burglar. If you spend all afternoon in the garden it may be several hours before you even notice that a crime has occurred, so do stay vigilant.

Of course, not everyone can stay at home during this time. Key workers, whether they be NHS, social care, shop workers, delivery drivers, emergency services or any other front-line workers are still having to go out to work. Cruelly, their homes are the ones that burglars are most likely to target, for the very fact they are unoccupied. If you’re in this category of worker, ensure doors are locked, windows shut, and alarms set. If you have close neighbours who are having to stay at home, why not ask them to keep a look out whist you’re at work, or get them to park on your drive – anything to give the impression that the house is occupied. If the worst does happen and you return home to a break-in, ensure you make your second phone call (after the police) to a reputable Rotherham locksmith who can quickly make the place secure – we are still working and understand how important it is that you can regain that feeling of safety.

Whilst there is still support available for any emergencies, people can still take precautions to help reduced the risk of needing to call out a locksmith during these times, and ensure those that most need help are able to be quickly seen. You’d be surprised how simple some of these steps can be.

For instance, most of us have been showing our appreciation for carers by stepping out onto our drives or doorsteps and participating in a minute long round of applause each Thursday at 8pm. But a combination of a self-locking Yale mechanism and not keeping a key on your person results in an embarrassing lock out for the householder, turning that minute of goodwill into a few hours of hassle. The same goes if you’re going out for your daily exercise – double check that you have your key with you. It’s such a simple thing to do, but believe me, it’s also a simple thing to forget! We’re living through a global pandemic, so it’s really not worth adding to the complications by getting yourself locked out too!

Fair to say, it’s been an odd month, all in all, as we make it into the seventh week of lockdown. It sometimes feels like life will never be the same again, but one day I’m sure we’ll all be annoying each other as normal, and getting bogged down by the trivial stuff.