A poll of residents in Texas found that 35 percent have purchased an alarm system in the last year and taken other measures to protect their home from a potential intruder. The poll, conducted by the Scripps Howard News Service, showed an overall decline in the number of Texans who say they had been victimized by a crime in the past year, but an increase in the number concerned that they will be a crime victim in 2006.
Only 14 percent of those polled said they were a victim of a crime in 2005, marking a 26-percent drop from when the poll was first conducted in 1989. However, more than 54 percent say they are afraid that they or a member of their family will be a victim of a crime in the coming year.
Along with those purchasing an alarm system, 47 percent of respondents purchased a gun for protection in the past year, while 33 percent purchased a guard dog.
