Finding the right combination for enhanced security

A sour economy and the fear of losing money deposited in a worrying banking market apparently boosted business nationally for locksmiths and safe retailers.

But, just as it did with the home mortgage crisis among subprime lenders, the Wyoming Valley and surrounding areas seem to be bucking national trends when it comes to pulling money from federally insured financial institutions and storing it at home in newly purchased safes.

USA Today reported in October that representatives for national home improvement chains Lowe’s and The Home Depot said they saw a pronounced increase in sales of their metal vaults as people saw their 401(k) values decrease, as did a representative for SentrySafe – the nation’s largest safe manufacturer.

That hasn’t been the case locally, said Mike Murray, a manager at Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Wilkes-Barre Township.

“Nothing really stands out (in safe sales). They’re not flying off the shelves. The valley is a very different place,” Murray said.

Mark Torbik, a locksmith since the 1960s whose Torbik Lock & Safe has been operating on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre for 30 years, agrees.

“We have about 70 or so safes on the floor. But we haven’t seen anything drastically change over the last six months when everything started going on (with bank failures and financial bailouts). In this area, it’s sort of status quo. This area doesn’t follow the supposed national trend, but we don’t see that trend in the housing market either,” Torbik said.

But at least one local professional said he’s seen an increase in certain types of work orders since the economy soured.

“It’s been a weird sort of increase. Divorce seems to be on the rise because of the economy. I’ve had five cases in the last week of people needing their locks changed. One guy said he’s ending it because the economy’s not good and no one was reining in the spending,” said Bob Ward, co-owner of Hazleton-based Key Locksmiths.

Ward said he’s also had more vehicle repossessions to handle, as well as lock changes on commercial buildings for bankruptcy cases.

But for those folks who are concerned about home security, given an apparent spate of local residential burglaries and home invasions in addition to the uncertain economy, Torbik recommends people educate themselves on home security options for protecting themselves and their valuables.

“We have our own problems here, with people on drugs who need a quick dollar. I’ve recommended since 1967 through 2009, there’s not one residential property that shouldn’t have decent deadbolts put on. People need to choose something that’s going to buy them time and noise. That’s the enemy of the guy trying to get in,” Torbik said.

Some people might say that if a burglar wants to get in, they will. But that’s not necessarily the case, Torbik said.

“When you read about a break-in and they broke into a safe, 999 times out of 1,000 it’s going to be what I call a home-center safe because most people buy according to price and not quality,” Torbik said.

Torbik said both safes and deadbolts come in different quality levels, and the higher-quality ones pay for themselves in the long run.

“If you buy a $200 deadbolt and it lasts you 10 years, that’s $20 a year, less than $2 a month. To me, it’s a no-brainer,” Torbik said.

“You can get a five-and-dime safe for $200, but $200 will buy you a lock for the safes we have,” Torbik said.

A common residential safe measures 12-by-18-by-15 inches and can sell at several different prices – $250, $650, $1,300 or $2,400, Torbik said. And while all those safes are fireproof, it’s the security rating that makes the cost difference.

Mechanical functionality also adds to the cost. “We have to be called out to service many lower-end safes because they malfunction mechanically,” Torbik said.