Three episodes out of four aren't reported. The experts: there's no culture of security "Doors too open for thieves" A million thefts in 1996, European record ROME. Home, unsafe home. Thieves enter as and when they please, and they rob undisturbed. According to reports, 220 thousand apartments were robbed in Italy in 1996; according to estimates, though, this figure should be multiplied by four, which would mean a million. It is true that there is no anti-theft device capable of pinning down the most experienced burglar, but it is just as true that home protection stands at very low levels. Apartment thieves usually enter through unarmoured doors or through windows "protected" by wood rolling shutters, and not even a warning siren disturbs them. According to IMQ, the institute authorized by law to certify the quality of electric and electronic systems, the number of "sirens" installed in Italian houses is lower than Turkey's. Opportunity makes the thief. Certain findings, therefore, are far from surprising. First of all, the phenomenon's increase: apartment robberies increased by 8-10 per cent as compared to 1995. In addition, according to Erfsi (an association of experts on latches and locks), in 80 per cent of the cases thieves enter through the front door, 15 per cent through the window and 5 per cent by other ways. Another study, conducted this time by Anciss (association of security systems makers), finally reports that beyond two thirds of the reported thefts could have been avoided by warning systems. "There's no culture of security " explains Miriam Tomponzi, of 'Tomponzi Investigations.' - Even those who invest in anti-intrusion systems sometimes make mistakes which ill-intentioned persons don't fail noticing". Literature is swarming with such episodes: some had an armoured door installed but neglected the balcony, their flat being on the sixth floor. Thieves broke into the neighbour's flat, robbed it and intruded into the adjacent apartment by balcony. Others, after realizing that the house key they had forgotten in the car had been stolen, went to the police department to denounce the fact and, once back home, found that thieves had already acted undisturbed. Another thoughtless action is that of letting a stranger take one's house key, even though for few seconds. If the stranger is ill-intentioned, he/she will make a cast of the key and will quietly come back to raid jewelry, money and whatever else. What remedies to adopt in view of approaching summer? First of all, experts recommend an armoured door. There are four types of them, ranging from class 1 (which cost little and resist just as little), to class four (which provide a veritable fortress). The same holds true of burglar alarms and safes: it all depends on the degree of security that one desires and on the worth of goods to defend. Systems range from do-it-yourself devices to customer-designed ones, the latter providing for a discount up to 30 per cent on an insurance policy. A detail not to be forgotten: "An alarm puts thieves to flight, but if nobody steps in, one risks a denunciation for disturbance of public peace" they say at 'Tomponzi's. - Neighbors don't step in anymore." The remedy is to connect one's warning system to a private guard institution or, if one succeeds, to the police and Carabinieri departments. Among the novelties, one of particular interest consists of a Gsm cellular phone connected to a portable computer, to Telecom Isdn network and to a telecamera installed in the apartment; by dialing his own phone number, the user can see what is going on in his apartment at any moment. Miracles of technology: from a far away vacation resort, sitting in the shade of a palm-tree, we will helplessly observe -in real time!- the thief who is robbing our house. Author: s. man.