Is a Yale lock + burglar alarm sufficient security?

[franch]

We don't lock the 2 mortice locks at night because if we had to get out in an emergency we'd have to locate the key, and it'd slow us down. Also I attended a talk by a police officer once and she said she used minimal locks on her doors because she'd seen emergency services too many times unable to get in because of excessive locks. My dad, however, thinks the house is insecure at night, and also thinks the single mortice on the back door isn't enough.

Any thoughts?

policeman friend has mortice, yale and 2 of those ones that are a circle (can't remember the name sorry) and an alarm and security lights. if its that much of an emergancy that u need t get out in a mad rush i would smash a downstairs window

Yale lock not good enough imo. They are shit, and I think home insurance requires you to have a mortice lock? Might be wrong though.

We have 2 mortice locks on all external doors plus 2 chubb internal ones.

If you are worried about a speedy exit keep a spare set of all keys under your bed for emergancys.

Thanks all. Still not sure what we should be doing tbh. (Since leaving home I've only ever lived in flats till now!) Smashing window not an option - secondary glazing.

Just found a couple of useful sites tho: Home Office and Crime Reduction

From looking at the links, I'd say we should be locking our mortice locks, but still not sure where we should be keeping the keys. Under bed scares me, as I can imagine finding myself downstairs without thinking to bring them down - but I know you're not supposed to keep them near the front door ...

My understanding is that a burglar alarm is a huge deterrent. You should be okay

... and still a bit worried about emergency services tbh ...

In what circumstances are you likely not to be able to answer a fully locked and secured door if emergency services are required?

You presumably have a fire alarm so that covers that...(you shouldn't be unconscious due to smoke inhalation)

Do you have a partner? If so, there are few circumstances that I can think of where you would both simultaneously be incapable of opening the door...

Trickier admittedly if you are on your own

Yes, got smoke alarms galore ... It was just what the police officer said really, she was quite emphatic about minimal locking - I suppose she was thinking of situations such as when you're trapped upstairs due to a fire, or maybe you're in the house with an intruder?

I do have a DH but this has all come to mind because he's been away for a few days - dad came to stay for some of them and that's when he commented on our (lack of) security - tonight I'm on my own with the DDs and giving it some thought

Oh HMC I worry about having an accident when alone with the small kids but then I wouldn't have the mortice locked.
How about keeping a spare mortice key on the top of the doorframe? Not as obvious to a burglar as it sitting in the lock. We've never locked the front door mortice at night though TBH, all our homes have had really public fronts which is a deterrent from that point of view. The one time we did get burgled they came in the back garden and smashed a tiny downstairs window at the side so locks weren't an issue.

Hi Franch

I was always of the "I wanna get out" school of thought on security until we got burgled

We previously left the front door just on the yale and they forced it open no problem - didn't even leave a mark on the door
However I heard them due to our squeaky floorboards

We now have a new better fitting door, a yale & 2 mortice locks & a chain. Both locks and the chain are on at night

We have a set of spare keys hung in a discreet location halfway down the stairs for emergency exit

Our back door isn't very secure as it's french doors but you've got to climb through other gardens first

My dh locked himself out of the house one day having only snibbed the yale lock. He had to phone a locksmith to come and let him in and all the locksmith did was produce a piece of plastic like a credit card that he slid up the side of the door and the door unlocked. It was so easy and quick that it freaked my dh out realising just how quickly someone could get into our house if they had the knowhow.

We now keep our door double locked with the yale lock and the big lock on the handle. Not sure if it's a mortice lock or not as I think they have extra bolts or something but ours is just locked with a key in the keyhole. And the key is always put in an easily accesible place that we can grab if we needed to get out in an emergency.

just googled and what we have is a mortice lock, I thought they had more bolts in them or something but obviously not.

Hi franch,

A yale lock is usually no problem to a burglar - especially if the door jamb and the locking mechanism are flush - Ihave seen a credit card slip the yale open.

I would def. check your house insurance agreement - most companies insist on a 3- 0r even 5- lever mortice lock at each exit door. And I would lock them at night and leave the spare key at low-level eg under a carpet near the door?

Take your point about minimal levels for emergencies, but a cunningly placed key would satisfy this AND insurance co. If you are burgled, the insurance people will helpfully (to themselves) look for ANY excuse to not pay out and will point up ANY deficiency in which you had made the burglary 'easy' for the little darlings who thieve.....

good luck.