crime -- but unlike the victims who lose, companies are gaining in sales.

Listings in the yellow pages under security services have jumped by fifty percent since last year.

"It has been hard to keep up. Demand has outstripped supply it would seem. We have been flooded with calls from businesses, small and large, and from residential,'' said Mr. Robbie Aldred, vice president of Bermuda Central Station Security Systems (BCS).

BCS is a privately-owned security company which employs about 140 people from technical staff to guards.

Though Mr. Aldred, like all the companies contacted would not divulge sales figures, he did say BCS's had doubled since about four years ago.

"Yes, business is good but we'd rather it was a little less,'' he added, referring to the correlation between increased sales and increased crime.

He laid the blame on lack of family values and predicted it will get worse.

But technology is changing as well, according to the former Police officer.

Fibreoptics and closed circuit television have gone a long way to catching thieves and reducing the number of false alarms, according to Mr. Aldred.

Mr. Neville Darrell, president and CEO of Dynamark Security Centre, operating for over a decade in Bermuda, said there is no doubt demand in increasing for home security systems in the past few months.

Dynamark is a franchise of Dynamark Systems International based in Maryland.

Customers can spend from $1,500 to $6,000 for a home security system, according to Mr. Darrell, a Police officer for 20 years.

"People realise they can no longer leave their homes unsecured unfortunately I think it is going to get worse and it is directly linked to a very serious drug problem on the Island,'' he said.

"It is like insurance, sometimes people do not buy it until after they had something happen,'' noted Mr. Ryan Wilson, vice president of International Security Investigations.

"People are looking for more cameras. Concern is growing. There is definitely a market here for security equipment,'' he said.

According to Mr. Jon Oldfield, president of Island Protection Ltd., the nature of crime in Bermuda has changed.

"Criminals are now interested in items like VCRs and family heirlooms, not just alcohol. And it does not matter whether you live in Tucker's Town or the back of town. Much of it is drug driven,'' he said.

IPL, started three years ago, is the Wells Fargo distributor for Bermuda. Mr.

Oldfield sees the market as big enough to conduct telemarketing.

The company randomly calls residences inquiring if residents are interested in free security demonstrations.

"People are generally interested in the concept of having a demonstration.

It's a shame that a product like this is in demand today. Five years ago you could have given a security system to someone for Christmas and the gift would not be used,'' he concluded.