Owner & Operator
Ali Akbar
Founder, Aura Locksmith
We operate inside Quentin Hardware & General Supply at 3203 Quentin Rd in Marine Park, Brooklyn.
Years in the trade. A background in public service and high-rise safety work. Roots on one Brooklyn block.
"I'm here to give Brooklyn the locksmith service it actually deserves."
Founder story
Why I started Aura Locksmith
I spent years in the NYC locksmith trade before opening Aura. The same problem kept showing up on every block. A homeowner gets locked out at night. They call a number they found online. An unlicensed guy shows up in an unmarked car. A $90 job turns into $600 by the time the door opens. No license number. No real address. Nobody to call when something goes wrong.
Before locksmithing was my full-time work, I served as an NYPD Auxiliary Police Officer. That experience shaped how I think about this job. Security is not a product you sell. It is a responsibility you carry into someone's home. Professionalism, courtesy, and respect for the person on the other side of the door come first. The locks come second.
I opened our storefront at 3203 Quentin Rd so Brooklyn would have a real, walk-in locksmith again. A place with a sign over the door, a counter, hardware on the shelf, and a person you can look in the eye.
"Security is not a service. It is a responsibility."
On the job
In the shop, on the door
Cutting keys at the Quentin Rd workbench, or picking a jammed deadbolt on a Brooklyn front door. Same hands, same standard, every job.
Verified credential
NYPD Auxiliary Police, Basic Training
Signed by the Commanding Officer of the Auxiliary Police Section and the NYC Police Commissioner. This is the foundation of how I approach security work today.
Click the image to view the full certificate.
Safety training
Trained to NYC construction safety standards
Beyond locksmith licensing, I've completed the federal and NYC construction-safety coursework required of site supervisors on DOB-regulated jobs. When I'm drilling into your door frame, installing commercial hardware, or working on a storefront gate, the same safety standards apply.
OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety
The federal OSHA-authorized 30-hour course for construction workers and supervisors. It covers fall protection, electrical safety, hand and power tool safety, PPE, and hazard recognition on the jobsite.
Site Safety Training Supervisor Card
The 62-hour curriculum required by NYC Local Law 196 for construction supervisors on DOB-regulated sites. Builds on OSHA 30 with NYC-specific modules:
- • 8-Hour Fall Prevention
- • 8-Hour Site Safety
- • 4-Hour Supported Scaffold User
- • 2-Hour modules: Site Safety Plans, Toolbox Talks, Pre-Task Safety Meetings, Drug & Alcohol Awareness
- • 4 hours of approved electives
NYC Local Law 196 mandates the SST Supervisor card for Site Safety Managers, Construction Superintendents, Concrete Safety Managers, and designated Competent Persons on regulated construction sites.
Construction background
Before locksmithing: NYC Special Rigger
Before opening Aura Locksmith, Ali worked as a NYC DOB Licensed Special Rigger on high-rise projects across Manhattan. Rigging work at heights where one missed step is the last one.
- Con Edison, East River Generating Station801 E 14th St, Manhattan (pictured)
- Chrysler Building restorationExterior restoration project. nyrestoration.com
The same safety discipline carries over to every lock job at the shop.
How I work
How I work with clients
I don't promise miracles. But after years in this trade the same thing keeps coming back from customers. The panic drops the moment I walk in. The mom locked out at midnight with a baby inside. The shop owner whose front gate jammed an hour before opening. The family that just moved in and couldn't sleep until the locks were changed. We figure it out together, I do the work properly, and people walk away feeling like the right person showed up at the right time.
I like solving hard problems for people who need help. I take the work personally, and I want you to feel safe in your own home or business when I leave.
Calm in a crisis
Lockouts and break-ins are stressful. I bring the temperature down, explain the options, and get the job done without drama.
Honest pricing, every time
You hear the price before I start the work. No surprise add-ons. No "the lock turned out to be a special model" upcharge.
Your door, treated like mine
I install hardware the way I would install it on my own home. Properly aligned, properly secured, and cleaned up after.
A letter from the owner
A few words from me
Aura Locksmith is my business and the work I want my name on. When you call this shop you are not getting a dispatcher. You are getting me, or someone I trained personally to do the work the way I do it.
I picked up this trade because I'm built for the work in tight spots. My time with the NYPD Auxiliary taught me that how you show up matters. On time, in uniform, with respect. The rest is craft you only get from years of doors, cylinders, and Brooklyn weather.
If you live or run a business in Brooklyn, I want to be the locksmith you keep in your phone. Not because of a clever ad, but because the work spoke for itself. Walk into the shop on Quentin Rd. Call the number. You'll meet a real person, get a real quote, and get the job done right.
That's the promise. That's Aura.
Ali Akbar
Owner, Aura Locksmith
Credentials
Who you're hiring
Owner and lead locksmith at Aura Locksmith.
Former NYPD Auxiliary Police Officer. The way I think about security came from that service.
3203 Quentin Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11234
Clean record. Standard for the work I do in NYCHA buildings and other secured properties.
Lockouts, lock changes, top locks, and high security work across NYC Housing Authority developments.