Home Burglaries Influence More Consumers to Consider Security Systems

Trend Expected to Increase During Summer, Busiest Time of Year for Home
Burglaries

AURORA, Colo. and IRVING, Texas, May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- It's alarming to walk
into your home and discover you've been burglarized. It's happening more often
in many areas of the U.S. with the trend expected to continue during the
summer when more people are away from their homes, making their property more
vulnerable to intruders.

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Mary Hunt is a recent victim. Her Chicago home was burglarized, but since she
had a monitored alarm system, police busted the burglars minutes after the
break-in.

"You'd never think that when you leave your house someone will try to
intrude," Hunt said. "But thankfully, in my case, the alarm caught them in the
act."

The home burglary rate is expected to worsen this summer, traditionally the
peak time. And with the rise in home break-ins comes increased consumer
interest in the benefits of home security systems, reports the National
Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA), a leading industry organization that
represents companies comprising over 70 percent of the multi-billion dollar
home security market.

"As the crime rate in many markets continues increasing, we keep seeing more
people who are concerned about their safety calling security companies," said
Merlin Guilbeau, NBFAA executive director. "Security systems have become the
'must have' item for the home."

There are numerous studies and statistics which support the need for consumers
to arm their homes with security systems:

-- Rutgers University recently released a study, using five years of
data,
which scientifically proved that burglars tend to avoid homes with
alarm
systems.
-- The FBI reports that a home is burglarized every 15 seconds in the
U.S.
and crimes to property, like homes, represent over 75 percent of all
crimes reported.

-- According to a Temple University study, a monitored alarm system makes
a
home three times less likely to be burglarized versus a home without
an
alarm.

Most home alarm systems are easy to operate, inexpensive to install and come
with monthly monitoring fees that cost about a dollar a day. Besides helping
to deter burglars and providing peace of mind when residents are away from
their homes, security systems can also save money by providing consumers with
up to a 20 percent discount off homeowner's policies offered by most insurance
companies. Additionally, many monitored systems offer protection from fire and
carbon monoxide.

Many safety experts say now is the time for consumers without home security
systems to consider buying one.

"When you go on a summer vacation, burglars can go to work on your house. It's
important that you make sure you are protected," said Kathleen Baty, 'the
Safety Chick,' an author and crime victim who was held at knifepoint in her
home by an intruder. "Getting a security system can be a huge relief and make
your vacation truly relaxing."

Besides purchasing a home security system, the Safety Chick also recommends
the following tips to help protect your home:

-- Plant thorny bushes like roses and bougainvillea around the windows
-- Turn down the phone ringer so burglars won't hear you aren't
there
-- Buy motion-sensor lights. Some are solar powered, reducing energy
usage

-- Install a film on your window glass, making it tougher to smash

The increase in home burglaries means high numbers of emergency calls are
coming into security monitoring centers. ADT, the nation's largest provider of
home security, operates four interconnected, fully redundant monitoring
centers nationwide, including Aurora, Colo. Since October, all four centers
have had over 3.2 million emergency calls.

"As there continues to be a growing need for security systems," said Guilbeau,
"we want all consumers to answer one question, 'Got Security?'"

NBFAA, a non-profit 501(c) 6 trade association, is the nation's oldest and
largest organization dedicated to representing, promoting, and supporting the
electronic life safety, security, and systems industry. Member companies
specialize in a wide spectrum of services to commercial and residential
consumers, including security and fire alarms, video surveillance, access
control and monitoring. In cooperation with a federation of state
associations, NBFAA provides government advocacy and delivers timely
information, professional development tools, products and services that
members use to grow and prosper their businesses. The NBFAA may be reached at
(888) 447-1689 or on the Web at www.alarm.org.

SOURCE National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA)

Laurie Knox of NBFAA, 1-888-447-1689, ext. 209, LaurieK@alarm.org; or Bob
Tucker of ADT, +1-561-988-3619, btucker@adt.com