Law

The lock is a system that uses a mechanism of keeping an intruder out by denying access through the otherwise authorized route of passage. It is therefore important for a designer to keep in mind the inner mechanism of locks and most crucially on the place of use. Effective locking systems are not prone to picking and should provide security as required by their intentions of manufacture and installation. It is from this point that any motive to mount a lock needs prior consideration of the options and the merits of placing one at a particular position.  Obviously, there are a number of locks that can be used in a number of places depending on the suitability and the nature of the lock.

Bearing this in mind, the design, fitting, assemblage and maintenance of the anti-theft and anti-intrusion equipments have seen the advancement of technology in designing almost pick proof locks. Although this has succeeded largely, cases of high levels of crimes have proved to go past the devices and barrier measures causing considerable damage, loss and sometimes death.

In this work, the focus will lie on the use of locks as anti crime systems and their make up for effective use in bank safes and entrance doors at my workplace.  The use of barriers is not enough to guarantee against picking and intrusion due to the nature of firms and organizations and at the same time the stake in their operations as well as the amount of investment. The use of locks is an additional measure to the use of barriers in ensuring physical security.

Key operated locks use internal barriers as wards and tumblers that work in a coordinated arrangement mode when the right key is inserted to allow access by rightful entry. There are three types of locks that use a key the lever, the pin and the disc tumbler mechanisms.  In addition, there are other types namely the padlock, combination locks, strikes, cylinders and unit locks. In my place of work, the entrance door to the inner banking hall uses the lever tumbler key operated lock.  This is a high security lock that works by use of a key that takes on the saddle lifting it such that the fence parallels with the gate. This allows the free movement of a bolt to the end which later can be withdrawn.

The lever tumbler consists of a post that is fastened on the case unto which is fixed the lever. In turn, the lever has leaf springs attached to it holding it down in an overlapping posture to the bolt notch. The importance of this is that it prevents the bolt from its withdrawn position by its fence which is ensnared by the front edges known as shoulders of the lever. The key completes the retraction in that the key bittings hold the lever aligned and at the same time contacting the end shoulder of the bolt notch. When the key has rotated fully, it completely withdraws the bolt thus it can be taken out. Any wrong key inserted works half way by raising the levers to the wrong position thus the levers obstruct the fence. This lock is used at the entry door to the inner banking hall due to its high security and thus it is not easy to pick.

The combination lock is used in the bank safe for all the cash deposits in the bank. It is highly effective due to the fact that it uses a secret combination of numbers or passwords that line up the tumblers.  The lock consists of tumblers known as wheels, each with a slot known as a gate that is devised to act on the fence after the correct alignment. For the operation of the lock, the gates are lined with the fence by the dial numbers. The numbers or passwords are called combinations which usually are three pairs but for cases of high security the priority is given to four pairs. The number of pairs gives clue to the number of tumblers thus a three means there are three tumblers in the lock.

The drive cam and the dial are set on the spindle to aid in rotation from the dial to the wheels allowing the retraction of the fence and at the same time pulling the bolt lever for renunciation. This mechanism in turn is not possible without the presence of the flies that transfer the motion from the dial to the wheels via the pin, a process referred to as nesting. To open this lock, the authorized operator has to turn the lock to the index mark, and then turn in the reverse direction to disengage the first wheel, then the second and the third with the given number of directions and turns of such a lock depending on tumblers present. The advantages of this lock are that, with an increase in number of tumblers the security is very high although wielding such numbers are quite tricky. On the other hand, it is difficult to guess the combination of passwords or numbers to open the lock.

However, this does not guarantee surety since it has its weaknesses. For instance, if the materials used are not sound proof it is easy to open by marking the tumbler position. If the width tolerance is wide, it allows the fence to enter the gate even without actual alignment. These two locks have been effective to the bank for quite some time and forceful attacks in the past have been futile though considerable damage has been recorded. The key lever tumbler lock at the entry of the inner banking was marked by punching bolt on the door after unsuccessful trials that left the mechanism flawed. The combination lock has resisted any successful unauthorized entry due to its mounting on strong steel walls and complex opening mechanism under a password.

To counter on such forceful attacks, the entry door key tumbler system has been added a biometric system that requires the use of finger prints to identify with a closed computer connection under a PIN for identification.  This additional measure allows the entry of only authorized persons who are authenticated by a computer system. The incorporation of electrical computer manipulated installation has enhanced effectiveness of the combination lock. At the same time, the use of sensors at proximity person control alerts the authority of a person near the lock thus allowing automatic response to the situation if it is dangerous.

The use of electrical card operated lock at the entry to the inner banking hall is an alternative to the key lever locking mechanism based on the fact that it is not easy to pick on an electric lock because they do not use manual tumblers. The code operated lock can be used at the safe considering that codes are changed efficiently ensuring high security. In ensuring effective security, there is need for it to work in total complementation to each other to guarantee a complete system.  This is very crucial because locks only cannot provide the required security to the items or places of high priority.

If the door and the walls where the locks are mounted are very weak then any intruder focuses on the weak point concentrating their energies on it and hence can gain a forceful entry. This means that the need to reinforce doors, walls and frames supporting the locks must offer the same security just like the locks for maximum security.  On the other hand, the use of keys to open doors has very many users in an organization. In effect, if there are no records over who has control or who takes the keys or there are many new key designers then it means that chances of misplacing are rife. This provides a window of duplicating which can lead to unauthorized entry. This therefore demands for accounting and management procedures in key recording, key auditing and key cabinets enforced to account for daily use to meet the high security needed.

Lastly, the question of lost keys in an organization, if it goes unreported can lead to security breach. It is therefore a requirement that any key loss should be reported to the key control personnel to determine the solution which is either to change the whole keying process or find the actual key with a proof that there was no duplication. These questions must checked and dealt with in any organization to ensure that investors properties are maintained and kept safe in order to protect the organizations assets and any other property.