In a post-World Trade Center universe, security services and products are suddenly hot commodities, as concerns grow over protecting employees and facilities. "Business has skyrocketed since Sept. 11," said Ronnie Hage, a sales and marketing consultant with Poway-based Hitron U.S.A., a security equipment manufacturer. Temecula-based Central Security Services Inc. is not only seeing a spike in new business but an increasing number of existing customers who are upgrading their security defenses, company President William Joyce said. "It has now become a priority because of the events of Sept. 11," Joyce said. David Shearman owns the Lawmen Group Inc. in Lake Elsinore. Shearman said his company has seen an increase in business from manufacturers. "We are getting more calls from military-related companies, especially ones that manufacture assets that if they got into the wrong hands, it could be a problem," Shearman said. "I don't think it is paranoia, just a newfound awareness that there are security concerns in this country." Business has increased by about 30 percent since early September for San Diego's American Security Network Inc., a company official said. Owner Andrew Davis said his company is seeing corporations that had been postponing security upgrades suddenly get serious. "I think there is more of an overall sense of the need for security now," Davis said. This growth in business stands to inject even more capital into an already huge industry. An article published in the trade publication California Lawyer in June 1998 reported that security guards now outnumber police officers by a 3-1 ratio nationwide and a 4-1 ratio in California. "The money spent on private security in this country exceeds the combined figures of all law enforcement agencies ---- local, state, and federal," author Brae Canlen said. Although eliminating the risk of a terrorist attack is nearly impossible, security measures can help minimize a company's exposure, Joyce said. "All you can do is protect yourself as much as possible by being vigilant, using common sense approaches, and complementing that with some kind of electronic or physical security," he said. Regrettably, however, many local firms are not taking even basic security measures, he said. "You could probably walk into restricted areas of most commercial buildings in Temecula and Murrieta and not be challenged until you are well into those areas," Davis said. Many of those measures cost little or nothing, he said. "Make sure you know who is entering the building. Keep a guest log, so you know who is coming and going and use a minimal video surveillance system at your main points of entry," Joyce said. Davis recommends businesses also change building access codes on a regular basis and have their security equipment checked regularly. And it's not just companies that are seeking to increase their level of security, said Tom Franks, marketing director for the Spy & Security Store in San Marcos and Clairemont Mesa. Sales of personal security devices such as stun guns, Tazers and pepper spray are up by about 30 percent at the stores since Sept. 11, he said. "People feel scared and don't know where to turn," Franks said. "Now, they can say, 'At least I am carrying a Tazer.' " Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (909) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or wbennett@nctimes.com. 11/1/01