The Tokyo Metropolitan Police has developed an alarm to detect picklocks as the number of thefts based on the crime continues to grow, department officials said Monday.
The alarm is Japan's first antiburglar device created by police to counter lock-picking, officials with the department's equipment division said.
The alarm, about the size of a cigarette pack, is attached to the inside of a door with double-sided tape and rings for three minutes when a picklock is detected, the officials said. They said it was difficult to develop a technology that distinguishes lock-picking from the normal use of a key.
The product is set to be offered to the public for about 8,000 yen in late November.