Tom Neirinckx always believes there’s a better way to do, fix, or make something.
He has taken that attitude and persistence into a project that he believes will deter or possibly eliminate the break-ins that have been occurring in Sun City homes. He has designed, developed, and crafted, in wood, a few security devices for a number of his neighbors. Now, he wants to make more community residents aware of his products.
Already, he already has a supply of custom-crafted door and window security bars he has designed and developed in his own home and at the Millgrove Woodshop, where he and his fellow Woodchucks work. Neirinckx’s name is pronounced like “near-inks.” He came to Sun City in 2004 after a career as a sales engineer.
With a little ingenuity, Woodchuck member Tom Neirinckx developed home-security equipment to guard against burglars, and it won’t detract from your home’s decor. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
“I don’t’ have an engineering degree but I was required to learn and know how products and machines work so I could sell pollution control products to engineers,” he said. “I’m always thinking about and designing prototypes of things that solve problems and perform necessary functions. I have one patent, and I just like to work with my hands and build and craft things.”
His basement looks like a miniature woodworking shop, with two state-of-the-art workbenches he designed and built himself. There have been more than 30 break-ins at homes in Sun City since 2011. The Huntley Police Department has made numerous presentations to Sun City groups, advising residents about ways they can deter break-ins and prevent losses. They have distributed alerts whenever a break-in occurs, and they have advised homeowners about various products that they believe help make a home more secure. The incidents have all occurred in detached single-family homes during daytime hours when the homeowners are away. They have usually occurred in homes that back up to open areas or the Whisper Creek Golf Course. Entry is usually gained by forcing or kicking in doors or windows, or in some cases, through unlocked or unsecured doors or windows. “Over the past year, I have felt convinced that there has to be ways to deter or even eliminate these burglaries,” Neirinckx said in a recent email to the Sun Day. “The ‘woodchuck’ in me started sketching. Over the past nine months, I have created a few security devices for a number of my neighbors. One of these devices would, most likely, have prevented two out of the last three break-ins.”
He invited members of the Huntley Police Department to his home to examine these items.
“They said they were encouraged about the items’ effectiveness,” Neirinckx said. “However, they said they could not endorse or promote any specific products. They did encourage me to ‘spread the word’ about my products to other Sun City residents. Neirinckx offers three door and window restrictor devices that he says can make a home invulnerable, or a lot less vulnerable, to the type of break-ins that have been occurring.
They are specifically built for Pulte homes and townhouses. He is currently working on additional designs for Del Webb-built homes that were the first ones built in Huntley when Sun City opened in 1999. One is a door restrictor crafted with 3/4-inch pinewood, and painted white to blend in with doorframes. It is positioned in the middle of a sliding patio door, supported by small, white pieces of wood secured with double-faced tape, and can be hidden away magnetically right in a door frame channel when door is in use.
“It blends in with white door trim, has excellent compression strength, is lightweight, would be clearly visible to would-be intruders, and you don’t have to bend down to install and/or remove it,” Neirinckx said. “The integrity of the door and frame is not compromised by the use of screws.”
The second is a partial window restrictor that can be used in any window in your home, including your garage. It permits a six-inch opening so that you can enjoy fresh air in the summer while you deter entry.
“You don’t have to close all your windows before you leave the house, even for a few hours, you can feel safe when you sleep with your windows open, and it is painted white to complement white trim for a low visual profile,” Neirinckx said.
The third invention is a custom-measured, complete window restrictor that allows the owner to lock some or all windows while you are gone on an extended trip or for a weekend.
“It has all the same features as the six-inch restrictor,” Neirinckx said. He is selling these products at the approximate level of his cost. “I just love to see my neighbors say how safe they feel, and that’s enough for me,” he said.
He offers his original door restrictor for $19.00, a complete window restrictor for $7.50 each, a partial six-inch window restrictor for $6.50 each, and he replaces the original strike plate screws in a front door with 3-inch screws in the deadbolt plate at no charge.
“These prices include measuring, crafting, and installing the products,” he said.
Five percent of his total proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, he added.
To contact Tom Neirinckx, please call 224-569-2523.
