Break-ins take mental toll

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL. impact
of having your home broken into
is often more damaging than the
theft or the vandalism that goes
along with it.

“In fact, seven out of 10 people
move to a new home within a yerr
after a break—in,"' says Andy
Gyorffy, vice-president of market-
ing for a Winnipeg-based alarm
system company.

“There is an overpowering feel-
ing that their home is no longer
their castle ... that it doesn’t rep-
resent the safety it once did. Every
time they come home there's a
tremendous fear that someone
would be waiting for them inside.

“Some of these people are even
afraid of leaving their homes
because of this."

Statistically,
reason to fear.

When it comes to criminats,
lightning does strike twice. Many
come back a second, a third and
even a fourth time. They know
that the items they’ve taken have
probably been replaced by in-

they have good

Friday, November 2, 1990 - North Shore News - 15

HOME & GARDEN

surance.

“They know your habits
when you’ re not at home and how
to get in. And they know what
they missed on the first visit.”
says Gyorffy.

**For most people,
living with that fear ... wondering
every time you open the front
door whether someone's behind it,
or downstairs in the basement, or
hiding in the closet.

“And every time you hear a
noise in the middle of the nigit,
your mind starts wondering all
over again whether the intruder
has come back. it’s very unnerv-
ing.”

Men often compare the feeling
to being raped and being
powerless to do anything about it.
Most would like to reach out and
strike the person responsible *‘but
there is not a thing they can do
about it.”

Often, says Gyorffy, the things
taken do not have a= high
monetary value but are simple
things that are important to
the person emotionally.

is not easy

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BUYING A sofa or any piece of
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First of all, you should consider
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like this from) happening, that
they aren't: powerless, they are
more inclined to install a security
system,"

With rising crime rates, he ex-
pects this trend to accelerate
dramatically over the next few
years and for Ramtron, which
produces one of the most
sophisticated — and effective —
alarm = systems available on the
market today to take a dominant
role.

Thieves, unlike lightning,
often strike twice

she had) of her husband.
would have preferred that
had cleaned her out instead.”

Generally, most people used to
consider installing a security
system after a break-in, not be-
fore, though Ramtron is helping
to change that.

“Once people understand they
can actually prevent something

She
they

He recalls one instance of a
widaw whese home was broken
into and the thieves had taken her
husband's photographs.

“They probably dumped them
in a garbage can two or three
blocks away because — they
would have no value to anyone
else. For the widow, however,
these were the only photographs

“We spent a lot of time resear-
ching what consumers want. Most
of all, they want security and by
security thes mean personal safe-
ty. Our system is designed to stop
intruders before they enter the
home ... and give them that peace
of mind.”’

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