CT: Gun Sales Spike After Home Invasion

http://www.nhregister.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18638535&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=517515&rfi=8

Gun Sales Spike
07/28/2007

You may think you're safe.

But the 3 a.m. home invasion in Cheshire that left a mother and her two daughters dead may now have you thinking about ways to protect yourself and your family.

And according to Connecticut gun dealers and home security system companies, you are not alone. This has been an an extremely busy week for them.

The Blue Trail Range and Gun Shop in Wallingford, one of the firearms sales and training facilities closest to Cheshire, took a month's worth of calls in less than a week.

"I take those calls - and I have definitely gotten more calls in the last two days, inquiring about hangun safety and permitting classes, than I would normally take in about a month," said Blue Trail secretary Amanda May. "I've taken about 20 calls this week. Normally, I would get about 20-30 calls in a month."

Among the callers, "Some of them are saying that this is specifically the reason why," May said.
"Others are saying, 'Well, I live in Cheshire."

Based on what gun and security system dealers elsewhere had to say, that wasn't just a local phenomenom.

"It definitely motivated a lot of people," said Frank Guerra, owner of K-5 Firearms Exchange on Route 1 in Milford. "I mean, someone could just walk into your house ... and you'd be subject to having nothing to protect yourselves."

Guerra said he has seen an increase in enrollment for National Rifle Association pistol certification classes, which prospective handgun owners must take before applying for a gun permit, and sales of shotguns, which don't require a permit.

"We have more people signing up," he said, "people actually saying that because of the incident that happened, they don't feel secure. We also have people buying shotguns to protect their home.

"They just want to have something to protect themselves."

One place that has yet to see a surge is the state police special licensing and firearms unit. State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said that over the past week, "numbers were about the same for pistol permit applications" as the same period last year.

But security system dealers, like gun dealers, have defnitely seen increased interest.

"We've had a lot of activity," said Robert Mule, owner of Mule Security Systems of Meriden, who estimated his calls and sales were up this week "maybe like 40 percent."

Many of them were "our existing customers wanting to upgrade their existing security systems, or wanting to clarify" questions about how they operate, he said. "We've had a lot of people who don't use their systems when they're home who want to start using them when they're home as well."

Some are "doing additional windows and doors, maybe second-floor windows and doors," Mule said. "We're getting some more calls as well for new systems."

David Cohen, co-owner of Standard Security Systems of Bridgeport, said, "There's definitely been a big uptick in the number of calls we're getting, asking us to come out and design and install a new security system ... or to reinstate their monitoring.

"Since that incident on Monday, we have definitely gotten more calls," Cohen said. "I'd say it's probably double."

Cohen, whose company installs and maintains security systems all across the state, said the increase in interest has been broad. But there has been a particular jump in Cheshire, he said, and "a lot of it is centered more in New Haven County."

Cohen is convinced that proper security could have prevented Monday's tragedy, which sources have said began when suspects Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes entered through an unlocked door.

Even when an alarm is present, "many people only have alarms on when they're away," Cohen said. "If you're in the house during the day, most people don't put it on. But people should put it on at night, for this kind of scenario."

Vance said there are a number of steps residents can take to better secure their homes.

"People are asking, 'What can we do to make our houses more safe?'"

"It's basically common sense: lock the doors, basic security systems. Don't hide a key: the burglars generally know where keys are kept."

In addition, "know your neighborhood and know your neighbors," Vance said. "Trim trees and shrubs to eliminate hiding places" and "make sure the address in front is visible and well illuminated" so if police or firefighters ever have to respond, they'll be able to find you.

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