The Crime Prevention Website

A bit of an extra long announcement for good reason!

We're really excited to be able to inform you that we now have a reciprocal link in place with the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA).  The MLA is a seriously professional trade association that is highly respected by all the people and organisations that matter in the world of security and crime prevention.  If the sun wasn’t already shining on my office, which is at the bottom of my garden, it would be now!

Here’s some information about the MLA   

The Master Locksmiths Association is the leading trade association for the locksmithing industry. A truly not-for-profit organisation promoting the skill and integrity of its approximately 1,400 members, it was established over 50 years ago to set and promote standards of conduct, practice and materials within locksmithing. Recognised as the authoritative body for locksmithing by the police, Home Office, British Standards Institute, The Risk Insight, Strategy and Control Authority -RISCAuthority (formally IPCRes, the UK property insurers’ technical group) and Building Research Establishment (BRE), the MLA also has a subsidiary company, Sold Secure, which performs certification of security products via manual attack testing.

In the absence of any government based licensing for locksmiths (meaning anyone can call offer locksmithing services irrespective of their background, competence or motives) the MLA runs a licensing scheme for its approved company members.

MLA Approved Companies undergo strict vetting (for example the MLA changed the law on the vetting of locksmiths in 2009 and, having been added to the exceptions order to the rehabilitation of offenders act, are able to perform standard level criminal record checks on members), regular inspections (to ensure quality etc) and require a qualified locksmith to be employed. With these attributes MLA Approved Companies are able to provide advice based on knowledge and experience, recommend products that are fit for purpose as well as provide professional installation and maintenance services. Details on your nearest MLA approved company can be found on their website 

The MLA, a City & Guilds and HABC approved centre, also provides training from its purpose built training facility based at the company headquarters in Daventry, consisting of a classroom type environment for theory work and a fully equipped workshop for the hands-on practical elements (N.B. due to the content of some courses they may only be open to MLA members). Courses currently include general locksmithing; opening; access control, safe engineering and Auto Locksmithing, with others currently under development.

As a consequence of our reciprocal link all references to the Master Locksmiths Association already contained within the advice sections on this website will be hyper-linked back to the MLA and look out for the appearance of their logo on our footer during the next couple of days.

We also want to say a big thank you to Steffan George, Director of Business Development at the MLA, for the approach and agreement.  Needless to say we are absolutely delighted to know that the MLA like our content as much as we like theirs and have been as keen as us to link up.

Master Locksmiths Association: http://www.locksmiths.co.uk/

Find a Locksmith: http://www.locksmiths.co.uk/find-a-locksmith/.

Sold Secure: www.soldsecure.com

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