Self-security boom!

Economists’ estimates confirm that Lebanese households have become “mini banks” with more than three billion dollars, after they lost confidence in the banking system that stole their money. Thus, with the onset of the economic crisis, the “trade” in iron safes flourished, the demand for which increased by more than 40%. However, with the deepening crisis and rising poverty rates, often accompanied by an increase in robberies and petty crimes, iron alone is no longer enough to reassure people. Today, many are looking for more secure means, as indicated by the massive growth in demand for alarms, surveillance cameras and even private security companies.

World Bank estimates confirm that poverty rates in Lebanon will rise to 45% of the population (3 million, including 1.7 million in 2020), and that extreme poverty rates will rise to 22% (1.5 million, including 685,000 in 2020). While a study by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) warned, at the end of last August, that “half of the population may not meet their food needs by the end of 2020.” These, and other economic and social indicators, indicate that we are on the brink of an exceptional wave of robberies, called the “fight for survival.” This is evident with the proliferation of robbery news targeting everything from cash to “sacks” of onion and “heads” of goat.
The sales engineer of “Karam Electronics”, Charbel Ramez Al-Hajj, points out that the sales of protection devices “have increased in the last two months by approximately 30%”, while the director of the company “Polaris”, Maroun Nassif, confirms the growth in demand “by approximately 25%”. Al-Hajj explained that alarm sensors are more popular than cameras as they are more effective at scaring the thief and pushing him to flee. “The cameras, after all, are fixed and don’t make noise, and they can be ineffective if the person is wearing a mask. The importance of alarm sensors lies in their ability to notify the owner of the house or institution, through his cell phone, of any illegal entry to his property if he is away from home or traveling.

Sales of protection and surveillance devices increased in the last two months by approximately 30%

Al-Hajj and Nassif noted that the majority of those who request these services are “owners of palaces and villas, and wealthy people who hide dollars in their houses.” And the dollar, here, is the magic word that guarantees “tranquility”, and without it protection is impossible. According to the director of Smart Security, Rustam Yamm, “The demand is very high. But when we come to cost, there is a projection and those with dollars stay. Payment with all companies that operate in this field is made only in cash and dollars.
The cost of purchasing and installing protective devices varies depending on the quality and volume of accompanying technical services, and can range from several hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. As for the demand in Lebanon, it is mainly focused on mid-cost devices whose price ranges between $ 500 and $ 1000.
Experts in this “ALCAR” affirm that “the demand for these devices tends to be concentrated in mountainous areas whose inhabitants desert in winter.” But it is noteworthy that the current boom is coming from major cities where security is generally considered more under control, signaling fears among many of the increase in burglaries and robberies. Furthermore, “the greatest demand for private security companies today is from people who want to provide protection to their homes more than from those who own establishments”, since “many owners of villas and palaces have begun to suspect the beacons and the possibility of their involvement with gangs in light of current economic conditions, and consequently prefer to deal with companies that provide trained and protected personnel. In addition to the fear of theft, the explosion of the port and the subsequent mobile explosions due to the storage of diesel or gas leaks contributed to “increased demand for protection and alarm devices by warehouses and institutions that store flammable or explosive agricultural or chemical materials,” according to Nassif.

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