Investigations and emails continue

Happy New Year! Okay, it’s February so maybe I should say Happy Valentine’s Day. I’ve been on sabbatical and it’s been refreshing. Still writing, of course, just not focusing on the locksmith industry.

It’s been an interesting year (11 months actually) writing a blog. But it’s been tough because blogs demand frequency and consistency. Investigative journalism doesn’t work that way. It requires research, documentation, fact-checking, multiple interviews, re-interviews, writing, re-writing several times, then sending it to your editor. By the way, my editor, Carol Leff, is pretty good at not letting anything get by her.

Investigative reports cannot be scheduled for weekly postings as much as I’d like it to happen that way. I usually work on two or more investigations at the same time. If another important story breaks, I’ll mention the publication/reporter and provide a link to it instead of jumping into another investigation. In that way, I can focus on what I feel are the issues of the locksmith industry instead of concerns about a weekly post.

Favorite emails

My favorite emails by far are from locksmiths and consumers who thank me for the work I do. It’s gratifying.

Second on my list of favorite emails are fellow reporters who are working on their own stories about locksmith scammers. TV reporters generally don’t have the time or budget to invest in lengthy investigations. Last fall one news reporter asked how I came up with the figures for my phone directory story. I detailed the interviews and steps taken to get accurate numbers. Since I haven’t seen his story yet, I’m assuming he couldn’t invest the time to investigate in his area. News organizations, both print and TV, are short-staffed and it’s a growing problem in the industry. Many of the posts on news forums deal with the lack of funds for investigations.

Finally, I don’t usually receive emails from an editor of a national locksmith publication complimenting my “solid investigative skills and writing.” (Thanks, Carol, for making me look good!) She asked that I contact her about writing a monthly column for them. About a week later I attempted to get back to her and she was no longer listed on the website for the publication. Yet another staff cutback. C’est la vie!

Bogus locksmith emails

There were several attempts by locksmith scammers to get listed as legitimate locksmiths on my www.find-a-legit-locksmith.com when it was up. I also get comments from scammers trying to post comments to my blog posts. I guess they think I’ll list them or post their comments with a link to their business without checking them out first. Not likely. One Miami locksmith scammer wanted to get listed so I asked for his locksmith license (required in Dade County). Never heard from him again.

Anonymous emails

An anonymous email from my www.find-a-legit-locksmith.com site showed up in my inbox last year. Some one sure was mad at a Spring Hill locksmith. They passed on his name, business name, address and phone number along with information that he was a convicted felon, drug addict and had protection orders out on him. Ouch! That sounds personal.

So was it true? I don’t know. I did some initial checking but the locksmith had a fairly common name and no birth date was given. He was not legally registered in Hernando County with a business license and there was no response to my email to the sender. I did find two criminal cases for someone with his name – one case did not end in a conviction and the other was really bizarre. A 2006 drug possession case was suddenly closed and a death certificate was entered into the court records. So I’m thinking that wasn’t him. Sometimes investigations just dead end.

I had just about decided not to waste my time investigating any more anonymous email writers when I got one from a former employee of David Peer of Dependable Locks, Inc. Peer owned the Florida locksmith call center that sent out phony locksmiths. After several email interviews, my editor and I decided the timing wasn’t right to release the story. We needed more than one source to verify the story, plus we couldn’t risk the informant (or myself) becoming a target of these criminal enterprises types who use lawsuits, death threats and other intimidation practices to silence those who attempt to expose them. Some of what this informant, (who later revealed part of his identity), told me was uncovered in court documents during Peer’s arrest last November. The rest, I’ll leave for another post.

Write me if you have a particular topic you want to see covered.

In the meantime, Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Locksmith dies of wounds received in robbery

Reporter Mariann Martin of the Jackson Sun has reported that retired Marine and locksmith Troy Mitchell, 44, has died leaving behind a wife and seven sons. To read the entire story, go to:
http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910310305

Tennessee locksmith in critical condition after being robbed and shot in the face

The Jackson Sun has published a lengthy story on Jackson, TN locksmith, Troy Mitchell, who was shot in the face Wednesday at 10 a.m. while working on a car parked in an apartment complex. For more information and photos of the crime, Mitchell’s life, family and business, what police think happened, reactions from his fellow locksmiths and how to help his family, go to:

http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20091029/NEWS01/910290304/Locksmith+shot++condition+critical

Locksmiths should get listed with ALOA, LegalLocksmiths.com and/or local associations

I significantly changed my website, http://www.find-a-legit-locksmith.com/, this week by removing all the locksmith listings and I’ll eventually take the site totally down. I had originally created the site by listing, for no charge, all the locksmiths that had registered for a business license. Any locksmith who wanted to add their phone number and website could pay an annual fee.

I had assumed the “locksmith” scammers had not and would not bother to get a business license. I was wrong.

According to Larry Friberg, co-founder of LegalLocksmiths.com, phony locksmiths are now obtaining business licenses and then attempting (unsuccessfully) to use them to gain membership with his organization. Friberg and his partner do a comprehensive background check on those who apply and lists those who qualify.

Since I didn’t have the time or resources to verify how credible my listings were, I removed them and linked both my site and my blog to LegalLocksmiths.com at http://www.legallocksmiths.com/ and ALOA’s (Associated Locksmiths of America) site which lists locksmiths at http://www.findalocksmith.com/.

While LegalLocksmiths.com charges $25 for membership (which pays for the background check), the only benefit is getting listed on their website and, at the same time, supporting their mission to combat this national scourge of phony locksmiths.

According to ALOA’s website, membership costs $195 annually plus a $50 application fee. Membership includes a free bond, discounts on services, education, supplies and conference fees and a monthly magazine. While ALOA’s background check may not be as extensive the one as LegalLocksmiths.com does, they do require a recommendation from a sponsoring locksmith member. ALOA’s fees may be out of reach for the average locksmith right now especially while locksmiths endure the double-whammy of a down economy and losing significant market share to phony locksmiths. Still, locksmiths should consider membership.

Local locksmith associations also do a great job backgrounding and listing legitimate locksmiths. Unfortunately, most of the association websites I’ve seen are not user-friendly so it’s difficult for the average consumer to easily find a locksmith. In addition, most association names are not SEO-friendly (Search Engine Optimization) which means associations don’t show up early on an Internet search. ALOA and LegalLocksmiths.com have both user-friendly and SEO-friendly websites.

Discouraging news

Friberg, a former law enforcement officer, and his partner, by the way, are really sticking their necks out by standing up to this major threat to the locksmith industry. According to published news reports, local and federal police agencies believe the phony locksmiths (hired by call-center owners), are connected to organized crime, started in Chicago, have been entrenched in the U.S. for more than 12 years and are here for the long haul. It's a very serious situation. Local law enforcement are helpful and some state attorney generals are beginning to file lawsuits against the call-center owners, but federal agencies such as the FBI and Homeland Security are pouring resources into terrorist threats much to the neglect of domestic problems. Unfortunately, anyone who does stand up to this scourge can expect to be either sued, face the threat of being sued, receive death threats or all of the above.

According to news stories, there are about 6 to 8 call centers around the country including one in Florida. (See my April 5th blog post “Missouri Attorney General sues Florida Locksmith Company.”) It’s estimated that these call centers each average 400+ JOBS A DAY!!! That is more than 12,000 per month and is a HUGE loss to local locksmiths around the state.

The best thing locksmiths can do, besides educating the public, is to encourage those who are on the frontlines of the battle such as LegalLocksmiths.com by supporting them and, of course, pray for their safety along with anyone else who stands up against the scamming call-center owners. The $25 a year fee is not too much to ask to support them while at the same time enhancing one’s own credentials. Locksmiths should, of course, get involved with their local and national associations.

Can extended code classes open new markets for locksmiths?

The Door and Hardware Institute (DHI) has been holding a convention in the Orlando/Kissimmee area for the last two weeks. I went mainly to find some answers about the fire and life safety code classes taught by the institute.

Code knowledge is an important topic since it’s just good business sense for locksmiths who do commercial work. No one wants to be responsible for someone’s death or injury due to improper hardware they installed.

In addition, state legislators developing locksmith laws have been including continuing education classes and specifying classes in fire and life safety codes knowledge.

DHI’s Director of Technical Services Keith E. Pardoe wrote a guide for AHJs (Authority Having Jurisdiction) entitled, Swinging Fire Doors with Builder’s Hardware. In it he writes that codes are documents designed to ensure buildings are constructed and properly maintained to protect the lives and property of occupants in all types of facilities, be it residential, commercial, industrial, institutional or recreational.

DHI offers a separate certification to become a fire door assembly inspector (FDAI) in a program that encourages annual inspections. Based on an 80-point inspection requirement, DHI provides those who complete the class with an Inspection Report form to use when doing inspections. Building owners will be able to keep the paperwork on file to show they are in compliance with code requirements.

Pardoe, who I had the opportunity to interview at the convention, believes it would be a good fit for locksmiths. After all, who better to first alert a customer to a fire and life safety issue than a locksmith instead of any number of AHJs including building or fire inspectors or code enforcement officers?

According to Pardoe, only about 5 or 6 locksmiths per year out of 600 annual participants take any of their classes. Those who do generally take classes related to electrified hardware instead of a code class. DHI’s 24-hour class Using Codes and Standards cost $1,050 for members and $1,305 for non-members. The fire door assembly inspector class costs $2245 for members and $2745 for non-members. Prerequisites to taking the class are 4 other DHI courses. Initial membership in DHI for individuals is about $500 for various fees, but only $250 per year to renew.

The least expensive way for commercial locksmiths to obtain this necessary knowledge is through a local locksmith association. Local associations can contact Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) Education Coordinator Kerry Eppler to set up their 8-hour code training session. Eppler said ALOA acts as a liaison for locksmith associations by providing qualified trainers and materials. When asked about pricing, she said, ALOA charges the association for the trainer’s fee, plus travel and accommodations and course materials. Prices can vary according to those expenses. The locksmith association, in turn, sets the price for the course contingent upon what ALOA charges and any other expenses the association may incur such as renting facilities, etc. Eppler gave an example of an upcoming 8-hour fire and life safety course for the New Mexico Locksmith Association. The class costs $150 for members ($170 for non-members), plus $45 for the book.

ALOA’s 8-hour class no doubt meets the necessary criteria for continuing education and knowledge that an average commercial locksmith would need. Pardoe’s mention, however, of the FDAI certification may open up an untapped market for locksmiths who invest the time and money to acquire the certification.

For more information about DHI’s programs, go to http://www.dhi.org/. For more information about ALOA’s programs, go to http://www.aloa.org/.

Locksmiths break in and burglarize storage facilities and businesses

Alabama master locksmith, Stephen Chitwood, 50, admitted to police to burglarizing storage facilities in three states since October 2008 when he lost his job according to reporter Deborah Buckhalter with www.jcfloridan.com. Chitwood, who sold the items at a local flea market, said he’d take his dog with him to act as his lookout when he hit the storage facilities once or twice a week in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

The Marianna (FL) Police Department cracked the case when they investigated the burglary of one of the storage facilities located next door to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Since the facility was within the city limits, Marianna PD sent officers to Alabama and spoke with Chitwood who admitted his crimes. Lt. Francis Davis of Marianna PD said the man was cooperative.

Authorities in Houston County, Ala. where the locksmith lives are holding a semi-tractor trailer full of items he took from various places while police in several jurisdictions look for additional victims.

Chitwood was not working as a locksmith when he lost his job, but was in another line of work. According to personnel at the Alabama Electronic Security Board of Licensure which licenses locksmiths, Chitwood had never registered as a locksmith. Locksmith laws came into effect in Alabama in 2007. Whether he couldn’t afford the initial cost of getting a license (about $500 total) or just not been able to pass a criminal background check, it looks like he won’t be passing one in the future.

In a separate incident and for the second time, a locksmith van was seen leaving a Penngrove, Calif. business that had been burglarized. A cleaning woman who arrived as the van was leaving, called the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to report the ATM machine inside the Penngrove Pub had been broken in to.

According to Sheriff’s Investigator Sgt. Glenn Lawrence, a total of $1,200 was taken from the ATM, cash register and office. Lawrence said the case is an ongoing investigation and they are looking at the surveillance video to see if they can further identify the ski-masked burglar. Besides the mask and ski-vest, the video shows him to be a short, white male.

LeRae Meadows, who covered the story for EmpireReport.com, interviewed a former law enforcement official who believed the burglar was “an obvious professional” due to his ease with opening the exit door without leaving any evidence of a break-in and his ability to drill open the ATM.

Lawrence, however, said, “I wouldn’t say it was an obvious professional. What is obvious is that someone had some knowledge of that machine and how to defeat it.”

According to Meadows’ reports, the Penngrove business community has had 4 burglaries all on Main Street in the last few months. After another one of the burglaries, a Main Street business owner had also reported seeing a suspicious locksmith van in the area.

For more information or to read Meadows’ stories, go to:

Penngrove robbery fourth in town
http://empirereport.org/reports/20090804-penngrove-pub-robbery-fourth-in-town

Penngrove community fears further robberies
http://empirereport.org/reports/20090805-penngrove-community-fears-further-robberies-as-further-details-come-out

For more information or to read Buckhalter’s story, go to:

http://www2.jcfloridan.com/jcf/news/local/article/locksmith_turned_burglar_charged/86420

Oregon next state to lock out 1-800-LocksmithScammers

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, (D), has about 30 days to sign into law a bill that will create a Board of Locksmiths to oversee and license the state’s estimated 2,000 legitimate locksmiths and to combat untrained sub-contractors from posing as such.

The sub-contractors, working for call centers, defraud consumers with shoddy workmanship and bait-and-switch schemes. They have overwhelmed the phone directories and Internet with hundreds (and thousands) of bogus business listings. Unknowingly consumers have called the imposters thinking they were calling a legitimate locksmith.

According to the bill, the Board would be established within the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) that now licenses locksmith businesses but not individuals. The new Board would adopt rules concerning the passing of a competency test, background and fingerprint checks, continuing education standards, fees and penalties for violations – all with a deadline of July 1, 2010. Until then the CCB must make locksmith certification available no later than Jan. 1, 2010.

Ernie Blatz is licensed by the CCB. He is also the President of the Pacific Locksmith Association (PLA), owner of Ernie’s Locks and Keys in The Dalles and has been in the field more than 20 years. He said the PLA has a membership of 70-80 locksmiths from 4 states: Oregon, (South West) Washington, Idaho and (Northern) California.

Blatz said one problem with being licensed with the CCB was that all the continuing education is geared toward contractors. “We just want to be able to get accredited classes through the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA),” he said.

“It wasn’t just the 1-800-LocksmithScammer that was the problem,” said Republican State Representative John Huffman, who sponsored the bill. “There are very serious breaches of security going on and the consumer doesn’t even realize there is a problem.”

Huffman cited the following case relayed to him by a locksmith who had been hired to rekey a 12-unit apartment complex. For many years, the manager rekeyed and maintained the lock system at the complex. The locksmith, however, discovered the pinning system was flawed. Every laundry room key, which the tenants each had, was actually also a master key to the entire complex.

Huffman feels confident the governor will sign the bill, if not; the process to pass a locksmith law will begin next March 2010 when the Oregon legislature meets again.

As of today’s post the bill was not signed. However, Jillian Schoene, the Governor’s Deputy Communications Director, said she expected the bill to be signed within the next few weeks.