The Value of a Registered Security Key

An Important Key is Lost

The other day, a lady and her child were seen looking for a lost key in the skate park. It was quite important to find the key as it belonged to her work premises. She was most likely at her wits end, not only for the inconvenience but also for the security of her work premises!

A Good Citizen Finds and Hands In the Key

Later a key was found and an image of it posted on facebook onto the local Crime Watch page in hope of finding the owner. As it was a security key, information of the locksmith was stamped onto the head. The key was then handed in to the locksmith .. and as it turned out .. it was us!

So in an effort to demonstrate the importance and value of having security keys made for your work or home premises, we decided to add a little bit about this to our blog.

Thank You to the Good Citizen

Firstly, we’d like to thank the responsible person, who found the key, and for handing it in to our shop as this greatly assisted in the quest to find the owner. A great act of thoughtfulness to help a fellow citizen.

The Quest to Find the Owner

Having the name of the locksmith on the head of the key, and the key type, indicates that information about the key and its owner has been stored on a secure register held at a professional locksmith service. Prior arrangements had been made by the owner to install a high security key system within their premises, which gives the added benefit of having the key’s and the owner’s details recorded on a register at the locksmith. This then makes it a simple process to locate the owner in the case of lost keys, or on the other hand to have the keys re-cut keys, by the owner’s authority, if the keys are not found.

A Very Secure System

The security key register is extremely secure as it is also tightly locked up within a safe on the locksmith’s premises. Access can only gained by a professionally trained locksmith who is acting in response to a request made by a person who has authority to do so. This includes a signed letter of authority who’s signature must also be verified through some kind of government issued formal identification such as a driver’s license. The person who’s signature matches the signed authority, as well as some other checks, is then allowed to have copies of the key made.

Utilising a security key system requires that if keys are lost or stolen they cannot be cut by anyone without authority to do so. Security keys are also only allowed to be issued by an credited professional locksmith, and they cannot be made by a shopping mall key cutter or by a hardware.

A Happy Ending

So a very secure system all around - and a happy ending to the story of the case of the lost key! Thanks to everyone involved and also for all of the concerned responses on facebook -  a very caring community.

Check out ‘Key Info’ pages on our website for further information on key security, and pop by our facebook page for more exciting locksmithing tips and info - or just to see what we are up to!