Saving Property. . . And LIVES!

“I thought I would share a success story with you. Yesterday afternoon my department assisted another agency with a missing persons case and located the missing subject’s vehicle at one of our hotels. Patrol had confirmed the missing person was checking into a room, however the subject was not answering the door. For some unknown reason the hotel’s bypass key would not work to open the lock and it was a solid core door with a metal jam – not something that would be easy to force.

I responded and used the under-the-door lever tool and within 1 minute had the door open. The door then stopped because the subject had thrown the extra security latch commonly found on hotel doors. I then used the Lock Jockey tool on that and had that door open in just a few more seconds. The subject was found inside the room, barely breathing and unconscious. He had taken an intentional overdose of multiple medications in a suicide attempt. Within probably another 30 minutes he would have been deceased.

There is no doubt that patrol would have gained access to the room in some fashion, but not near as quickly or damage free as I was able to with the correct tools. The hotel manager was ecstatic when he found out how we gained access, he had already given consent to have the door forced and said it could have cost him over $1000.00 to repair the damage.

Thanks again for your awesome class, I have now used my skills on search warrants, locked safes, and now a welfare check and have been able to get access 100% of the time (so far anyway)! Keep up the good work.”

Lockpicking Victory!!!!!!!

“[I] wanted you to know I caught an armed robber last week. [We] did 4 search warrants ending at an apartment which had a fireproof lockbox….locked of course. [The under cover] Sgt. went to get break-in tools when I said I would try to pick it. Since it was my case he didn’t have a choice. Everybody there was blowing me crap about how I would never do it. Took 3 seconds!

Got an ounce of meth, 45 grams of weed, and a stolen check. [The] guy is a ROP’er. [I] talked to County Attorney yesterday who is charging Meth for Sale based on what I found. Your class gave me the charges!!!!!!!!!!!! ”

Picking Into the Chief’s House

“This evening I was called by my Patrol Captain and City Administrator to unlock my Chief’s door (House door). The Chief is on Vacation and he’s got a teenager house sitting & dog watching. The teen went out to the backyard and locked himself out. I responded and checked the locks on the door. The front door was a Schlage deadbolt which I knew was not going to be a easy, so I continued checking the locks around the house and found a quickset door leading to a Mud Room. I was able to get the door open in minutes and everyone was happy. Oh by the way did I mention the teenagers father is a City Council Member who was very Impressed, Not to mention I earned a few bonus point with the City Manager, My Captain, and the Chief. LOL ( I know I took the easy way out with the [Kwikset] but It made me look like I was a pro.)

Thanks for the class.”

Aggravated Assault Arrest

“Just wanted to drop you a line. We went to an apartment early this morning to get a guy on an Aggravated Assault warrant. The address was sooo Third Party. We were pretty sure the guy was in there, but the case agent was squirrelly about forcing entry due to it being Third Party. After a neighbor confirmed to me that the guy is usually in there, I picked the deadbolt in less than twenty seconds and we were in. The perp was arrested hiding in a back bedroom. After other Task Force members witnessed this feat by the problem child of ya’lls class, they all want to take it. So you may be getting some inquiries from this office. Just thought you’d like to know. Thanks.”

Military Success in Afghanistan

“New website looks good. I’ll be back down in AZ in 2012 for some sustainment training. Turns out that covert entry skills were the primary method of entry and we only had to go up the continuum for a select few cases thus far. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to train with you guys, it has definitely aided in accomplishing missions over here in Afghanistan.”

Domestic Violence

“Hey, I thought I would let you know what happened the other night. A neighbor in an apartment complex called in to report a physical domestic between a male and a female in the apartment above the caller. The caller also said the couple sounded like they were under the influence of something. Before we arrived the caller told Dispatch this was a continual problem with the couple and they believed the male was a “tweeker.”

When we arrived I went to the back of the apartment to watch the second storey balcony. I could see lights on inside along with a few open windows. The Deputies who went to the front door could hear the couple moving around inside, but they refused to open the door. They wouldn’t answer their phone when we called in either.

Other neighbors confirmed they heard allot of fighting coming from the apartment. When Deputies talked to the caller, they said they heard the couple walk into their bedroom after the caller heard us knocking and announcing ourselves at the door. The caller had not heard anyone walk out of the bedroom after hearing them walk into it.

The Sergeant had Dispatch try to locate a manager with a key so we could enter to check the welfare of the couple without forcing the door open. I told the Sergeant I could “try” to get the deadbolt unlocked. I got the OK and got my kit out of my patrol car.

I tried several times with the picks I got from the Deluxe kit. After multiple tries I used some WD40 on the lock. I was getting some of the pins, but I could not get all of them so I switched to the pocket pick set I won in the class. I tried for awhile, going in both directions, without being able to get all of the pins at one time.

I moved onto the bump keys I purchased. After a couple of tries I was able to get the lock spun open in the opposite direction. I used the lock spinner from the Deluxe kit to successfully unlock the apartment’s deadbolt lock. We were able to gain entry into the apartment without any damage. After interviewing the couple we could not prove any domestic violence crimes had occurred.

In the past we may have just walked away so we did not cause property damage for an incident that might not be criminal. We might have forced the door open and then determine no crimes had occurred, which could have “opened” us up to a civil damage suit. I wanted to thank you for the skills you taught us during the class.

Thank you.”

Safe Search

“FYI I picked a 10″X12″ personal Honeywell safe this morning during a search. [It took me] 3-4 minutes with my key chain pick set.”

Elderly Lady Locked Out

“I again want to thank you for the excellent training. I have actually picked my first real world lock. The local PD had an elderly lady locked out of her home. I lubricated the lock and picked it in less than a minute..Of course the lock went the wrong way and I had to spin it..I’m glad I got the deluxe set. Any way thanks.”

Check Welfare

“. . .I had my first lock pick request a few days ago during a welfare check. The subject had a prior history of suicide attempts and was currently trying to get off meth. His family had not talked to him in weeks and my boss offered my services to the officers attempting to make contact with him . . . When I arrived I couldn’t identify what brand lock was installed on the door, the lock core was installed upside down, and the security door interfered with my positioning so I had to pick the lock with my left hand. I thought to my self, well this sucks.

Anyways I gave it my best shot and to my surprise I picked the lock with in about 30-40 seconds. Upon entering the subject had barricaded the door with a chair and the chair fell over before we realized what was going on. The sound of the chair falling alerted the subject to our presence. We entered quickly securing him without incident. His response was great. “How did you guys get the door unlocked?” My boss spoke up; we have an officer with specialized training that quickly picked the lock for us.” Even the subject seemed impressed.”

Obtaining Vital Information

“Three fellow officers and I responded to a series of burglaries in a shopping center. We were able to find where the suspects had pried open a window and crawled in. We wanted to call in our lab technicians to try to lift footprints, but we needed to get into the restaurant to find the contact information for the business owner so we could find out what all was missing. We contacted the security company, looked through our records and even hit the phone book and could not find a responsible to open the business for us. I decided to try to pick the lock with my Sgt’s blessing. After one failed attempt I backed out and tried another pick. I started talking to my Sgt and stopped concentrating on the pick and I suddenly felt the lock turn. I was shocked beyond belief! My first thought was that there was no way. Sure enough I kept turning and unlocked the door. Once we got the front door open we were able to go in and get the contact information that we needed. . . Thank you for the great class you put on. . .”

Padlock Picked- Firearms Found

“I had a successful entry yesterday during a search warrant execution for firearms. I came across a closet that was locked with a hasp and padlock. The padlock was a Lynx Padlock marked with “45 mm”. Lock was “upside down” which made it a bit awkward to get the right feel at first, but 32 seconds later it was open and several unlawful firearms were found.”

Search Warrant Success

“I just wanted to let you know that I had an opportunity to use my new lock picking skills yesterday during a search warrant. I have been practicing at least once per week since the class and it paid off! I opened up a residential door in 5 seconds and we were in, it was great.”

Instructor Assistance

“Exactly 12 months ago, I attended your lock pick class and have never had the need to use my lock pick set until today. I was attending a class and arrived about 15 minutes early. I noticed the instructor was in a little bit of a panic because the cabinet which contained the needed DVD player for the class was locked inside of it. The instructor had made arrangements to have this cabinet unlocked, but for whatever reason, no one showed up to unlock it. The instructor tried to contact someone to unlock it without success. I told the instructor I had my lock pick set in the car and I would try to unlock it for her. In less than a minute, I had successfully picked the Masterlock and opened the cabinet. Needless to say, the instructor was very happy.

Thanks again for the great class.”

Toolbox and Locker. . . Unlocked

“[I] finally got to use pick set on duty; it was just a tool box and locker that they didn’t have a key for. Luckily I was able to get into both!”

Welfare Check

“. . . the skills you taught were used the first night on the job after your class. Per a request from a squad mate, I successfully picked the front door and bedroom door locks at an apartment, reference a check welfare call. Thanks.”

Entry Made on Elderly Female Saving Her Life!

“This is the only time I’ve made a wrong call on a [dead body]. The call came out as a [Check Welfare]. Elderly [female] in her 80′s friend had not heard from her for 2 to 3 days, and they usually spoke on a daily basis. She requested we go [check welfare] on her.

I checked all the doors and windows around the property, and they were secure except for the rear sliding glass door. The sliding glass door could only be opened about a 1/4 inch, as it had a rod jamming it closed. We could smell decay coming from the interior of the house through the sliding patio door on the rear of the property, but it would only open a crack. I told my [sergeant] what I had, and he said we could only make entry if we could do so without causing any damage.

I used my bump keys and successfully unlocked the locks to the front door. When we entered the house, we could smell decay, and animals. Officer Stanley and I were clearing the house, and I saw the 80 year old lying naked, face up on the tile living room floor with her eyes and mouth open. Her knees were bent, and her feet were on the floor. From half way down her shin to the floor was purple in color, and it appeared as lividity had set in. Both my partner and I believed her to be [deceased].

I announced Phoenix PD loudly, as we were clearing the house. At that point I observed the [female’s] lips move very slightly, as if she was trying to respond. I told my partner who was not able to see [her] face from behind me. We both rushed to her, and she was not able to move. We had fire dispatched immediately, and they responded.

The [female’s] vitals were off the charts, and fire started a drip immediately. Fire was amazed that she was still with us, and said she would have been gone within hours for sure. She was transported to [John C. Lincoln hospital], and was able to speak with us when we dropped off her garage door remote at the hospital.”

Successful Bump

“Hey Dan good day to you. I wanted to let you know I had a successful entry in the field today! We did a search warrant today and found an electrical cord that ran to a vacant apartment. We decided to conduct an entry but had no key. It was a Kwikset lock (photo attached). I tried to pick for a few minutes and then decided to try and bump it. I selected the silver key and noticed it just “felt right” in the lock. I bumped the lock open on my first attempt! Haha it felt great. [I] lust wanted to share with you thanks for the great training.”