Bad Economy Spurs Fears of More Crime

More than four in 10 Americans are worried that the current economic environment can expose their families to crime, according to a nationwide survey of 1,000 people sponsored by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.

Many survey respondents also indicated that economic conditions are causing them to reduce their spending on security systems and devices.

Forty-one percent of respondents said they are very concerned about crime against themselves and their families based on the economy. Forty percent are very concerned about the trustworthiness of household contractors, and 34 percent are very concerned about checking the backgrounds of longtime household help, including babysitters, nannies and cleaning staff. Although 25 percent are very concerned about taking additional security precautions at home, only 8 percent plan to spend more money on these needs and 39 percent anticipate spending less.

The survey also found that 45 percent of respondents plan to spend less on home improvements such as renovations or additions and 25 percent plan to cut spending on maintenance and repairs.