A major attempt to loot the house of S Balaji, an income tax officer, residing at Kothari Nagar in Singanallur was averted on Sunday, when the thief broke-in to the house while he was away on a pilgrimage trip. Thanks to the burglar alarm system installed, the burglary was stalled.

With the number of burglary cases in the city sky-rocketing, installing a burglar alarm is essential. However, most people do not consider it a worthy investment. A small investment in an alarm can give one peace of mind and prevent thieves from looting your residence. "But awareness levels are low, and thus the demand for security alarms is not much. When you compare the substantial demand for security systems from commercial establishments, residential demand is negligent," says S Baraneetharan, proprietor, Ion India, a dealer of burglar alarm systems in Coimbatore. He indicated that 80 per cent of sales come from commercial establishments.