Sale of home security systems on the rise in Ohio county

May 17--LIMA -- On Jan 27, two men brandishing guns burst into the Cridersville Chase bank shortly after noon and quickly made off with their haul. The next day, Scott McNett gave 14 quotes for home security systems to people in the area. "They're thinking, 'Oh my God, these guys are bold enough to break into a bank and do this, what's going to stop them from coming into my house?' " McNett said.

McNett's SCI Security has given twice as many home security systems estimates this year than last, and there has been a huge increase in people purchasing self-install items such as cameras and door alarms.

The more brazen and numerous the burglaries, the quicker people are to seek protection for their homes. Through May 12, there had been 98 burglary reports in Allen County, compared to 69 in the same period last year, a 42 percent increase. Interestingly, burglaries within the city are down slightly from last year. Through May 5, the Lima Police Department had fielded 258 burglary reports, 17 fewer than 2008 -- about a 6 percent difference.

But -- real or perceived -- an increased threat of crime draws people to security systems.

Mark Fleeger, CEO of Homeland Technology Group, estimates their home security business is up more than 80 percent in the last quarter.

"We were basically a commercial company, and we went from doing one or two a month to doing three to five a week," he said

Any additional protection is good, said Allen County Sheriff Sam Crish.

"Whether it's a security system, extra lighting, even pets -- dogs for example. Any time you're dealing with somebody's house, if you can make it difficult for somebody (to break in), you're way ahead of the game."