In London, there is a commercial area called Hatton Garden.
The area’s well known for its jewelry locations and many safes, including the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company.
One evening, employees locked up the building at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company like they had done many times before.
After the staff had left for the weekend, surveillance footage captured a group of men arriving at the building in a van.
The group posed as repairmen for a gas company and were able to enter the building using a fire escape.
Next, the men used an elevator shaft to move through the building.
The group was able to drill a large hole through a thick concrete wall, which led them to a room full of safe deposit boxes.
Over two days, the thieves broke into over 70 safe deposit boxes.
The mastermind behind the theft was able to disable the security system to give the group plenty of time.
Since it was a holiday weekend, they had time to leave and come back to steal more.
After breaking into the safes, the room was covered with debris, power tools, and crowbars.
In terms of the amounts stolen, the crime was one of the largest burglaries in English history.
The group stole about $14 million from the safes, but only $4 million was recovered.
It turns out the group of burglars had planned the heist over three years.
According to court records, “Long before what happened during two different nights in early April, these defendants met frequently, very often on a Friday, to discuss how the burglary was to be successfully carried out.”
About three years after the heist all the men involved were captured.
The mastermind was sentenced to ten years in prison, and the other seven men involved were sentenced to seven years in prison.
As you can see, the men involved in the heist had done their homework. I suspect they knew exactly what type of safes they were going to be breaking into.
Aside from safes for important documents and valuables, there are many options when it comes to safes for storing guns at home.
One type that is gaining a following is modular gun safes.
What is a modular gun safe?:
A modular safe comes from the manufacturer in many different components.
Many modular safes are still made of steel and similar components that you would find in a traditional safe.
It allows the end user to assemble and customize the safe as they would like to.
It’s different from traditional safes because most safes are shipped in one piece.
You put the safe where you want it and that is all you have to do.
Benefits of a modular safe:
The biggest benefit of a modular safe is mobility.
You can move the safe around and it won’t take a group of strong people to do it.
The last thing you want is to have to hire movers all the time to lug your safe to where you want it.
It would be like giving strangers a map of your house and where your safe is located.
So, if you are moving, you can disassemble the safe and move it piece by piece to your new home.
This is especially beneficial if you rent or live in an apartment.
Another benefit is that modular safes are better when space is limited.
For instance, a gun safe that comes in one big piece might not fit through a door or into a closet.
A modular safe can be broken down and placed wherever you want it without damaging tight spaces.
Modular safes are more customizable compared to traditional gun safes.
You can adjust shelves or racks to meet your needs.
Drawbacks to a modular safe:
When you are buying a traditional safe you know the exact dimensions and can ensure your guns will fit.
You need to be careful with modular safes because the size expectations can be different.
Also, don’t get so overly excited about modularity that you forget about security.
What I mean is, if you buy a modular safe make sure it still has features such as a quality lock, as well as fire and pry-resistant construction.
Lastly, be prepared to put your modular safe together.
So, if you are like me and don’t have the patience to work on a puzzle, a modular safe might not be a good fit.
However, if you’re looking for a new safe it’s worth checking out SnapSafe and Hornady Mobilis Safe.
These modular safes are made with quality locks and steel doors.
Now, a safe is just one small piece of your overall home security plan.
You want to have layers of defense – starting at your property line if possible – to deter anyone from making their way to your actual residence.
