Over the past two years, companies specializing in alarm systems, surveillance equipment and security personnel services have experienced a significant surge in demand for both commercial and residential use.
Proof of this rapid growth in the security industry is the recent boost in the number of companies offering these services, said Leonel González, owner and manager of Alarmas Comerciales, who entered the market when his company was just one of three home alarm system companies, a number that has since swelled to over 40.
“We are installing at double the rate of what we did in 2006, and we even have to turn down work,” commented González.
According to official surveys, 80 percent of homeowners who have installed alarm systems decided to do so after being robbed. For business owners, the opposite is true, with 90 percent claiming they wanted an alarm as a preventive measure.
In the capital, it would seem the traditional combination of tall iron gates and barbed wire is no longer enough to deter thieves as equipment for cutting metal bars becomes ever more sophisticated and available.
“The gates protect, but they are mute. They don’t make noise when the bad guys get past them,” said González.
Based on the number of robberies reported, security system companies have identified several “hot” zones for robberies in the capital: Altos de Panama, Brisas del Golf, Limajo, Villa Lucre and the neighborhoods within the former Canal Zone. Apartment buildings and businesses in Punta Pacifica and Punta Paitilla also made the list of areas most frequented by thieves.
Police sources, however, claim that the occurrence of thefts and robberies dropped off significantly this year compared to 2007. “We acknowledge that there has been an increase in homicides, but most cases are related to drug trafficking or crimes of passion,” said police spokesman Eduardo Lin Yuen.
Rafael Zeballos, of the Red Democrática Ciudadana and the Youth Organization suggested that the urban crime rate has climbed so much in recent years that people are not only installing alarms, “many have decided to buy a gun to defend themselves from criminals.”
State-of-the-art wireless security systems are gaining popularity for their reputation as being nearly burglar-proof. With no exposed wires vulnerable to clipping, only the most savvy robbers can evade the radio frequencies and infrared beams emitted by strategically placed units.
Higher demand and increased competition within the market has led companies to drop their prices on equipment and services. A $1,000 surveillance camera, for example, now costs between $200 and $300, and the cost of installing an alarm system for a three-bedroom residence starts at about $350, with monitoring service fees of about $15 a month.
