Every homeowner dreads one thing – the looming specter that they will have their homes robbed by burglars, not to mention being attacked by these intruders. In the quest to keep their homes safe, most will invest in CCTV cameras, glass break sensors, and even motion sensors. However, most forget the threat that lies in ignoring having specific key control policies among family members.
A key is a sign of permission for entry into your home. As such, if a thief holds it in their hands, they can enter your home and get away with any crime without leaving any sign of forced entry. What’s even worse is that it only takes one of your fellow home dwellers losing their keys.
Here are a few ways to reinforce key control among your family members:
Keep the Key Control Process Consistent
Consistency is key when looking to achieve high levels of security, according to HomeSecuritySeek. Start by emphasizing the role that key control will play in the security of your household to those who use it. This includes both employees and close friends who spend most of their time at your house.
Once you have articulated the ground rules on key control, it is vital to be consistent with these policies. Only make slight changes to the policies. If you need to revamp the policies completely, it is wise to retrain all stakeholders to eliminate confusion. Training them on one change at a time is also essential.
Simplicity Is Key
Of course, a secure system will need a variety of steps to ensure that no one outside the household can circumvent it. Since you are working with a variety of people to ensure the security of your household, ensure that the method is simple enough for them to understand through repetition. For instance, if they have to keep the keys from one room at a certain drawer, it might help to label the drawer.
Other than enhancing security, this also improves the usability of the key control policies that you have in place. By utilizing simple policies, employees and family members will be less resistant to the policies.
Use Keys That Have Utility Patents
Anyone, including your employees, can walk into a locksmith’s office and get your keys copied unless you have utility patented keys. Unlike design patents that only guards against duplicating the design of the key, utility patents guard against copying how the keys work. As such, only locksmiths that work under a contract with the manufacturers of the keys have the authority to duplicate such keys.
Choose a local locksmith with a license to duplicate your specific keys. If possible, you can also offer them a list of the people that are allowed to duplicate the keys. This list can include members of your family, or even trusted friends. Remember, if any of your keys were to fall into the wrong hands, there is no telling the harm that awaits you.
Have a Central Storage Location for Your Keys
A central storage location is convenient in that it helps in the tracking and organizing of your keys. For instance, you can choose a room that is central from all rooms in your home. This strategy will also eliminate the chances that an employee will leave keys lying around in a separate place only for you to look for them everywhere.
In case you have a lot of rooms to open that are far apart, then you can use more than one storage location. However, you should at least ensure that every location houses specific keys. The fewer the locations, the easier key control will be. You should also have a different location for your spare keys for security purposes.
Conclusion
Looking at home security from the perspective of technology is a wise choice, but this should not mean leaving your home vulnerable to something as easy as losing your keys. While it might sound easy, key control can only be achieved through the collaboration of all who constantly use your premises. Consider the tips above to enjoy more convenience and security while at home.
