ABSTRACT
In Israel a common method of breaking into apartments and businesses is to grasp the protruding cylinder lock on the entrance door with a pair of self-locking pliers. With several swift horizontal movements of the pliers, the cylinder lock breaks at the central screw hole into two halves. The outer half of the lock is removed with pliers and a screw driver; a beetlenosed pliers or other suitable instrument is used to operate the lock mechanism in the door to gain entry. The broken cylinder locks are arranged within each precint’s drawer according to the date of break in. Regardless of their geographic origin, locks on which are found toolmarks made by the same pliers are kept together as numbered groups, in separate drawers. The locking mechanism is operated by means of another tool such as a screw driver, to open the door. Burglars tend to prefer those locks not protected by an adequate cylinder guard.
