HOME SECURITY : Despite Crime Worries, Most Residents Feel Safe

Although 44% of Southern Californians say crime, gangs or drugs are the most serious problems facing their communities, almost nine of 10 feel very or somewhat safe in their homes, and only one in four has guns at home--40% less than the national average.

Of 1,586 people in the six-county region polled by The Times, 87% said they felt secure at home, although more than half of those qualified their answer with “somewhat,” 9% said they felt somewhat unsafe and 4% said very unsafe. Those percentages vary slightly among those who have a gun or a security system, or who live in a gated or guarded community or complex.

Half of those who live in rural or small-town areas of the six-county region said they felt “very safe” in their homes, compared to about one-third of city and suburban dwellers. More than half of those age 65 and over also felt very safe.

About one in five city residents felt unsafe--twice as many as those in suburban and rural areas. And almost three in 10 who live in mostly minority neighborhoods felt unsafe, compared to about one in 10 who live in mixed ethnic or mostly Anglo neighborhoods.

Among ethnic groups, twice as many Latinos (22%) as Anglos (10%) or Asians (8%) said they felt very or somewhat unsafe, compared to 16% of blacks.

According to a report issued last Sunday by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, those feelings may be justified: Blacks and Latinos are far more likely than Anglos to be victims of crimes. (The report for 1990 also showed that people who live in the West were more frequently victimized than any other U.S. region by individual, household and violent crimes.)

Other Times Poll findings:

Guns: Of the 26% of Southern Californians who said they have guns in their homes, almost half said the guns are kept for protection. Nationally, according to a December, 1990, Times Poll, 43% of homes have guns. Three in five said hunting was a primary reason to have a firearm, while only about one-third cited protection.

* Among age groups, only those 45-64 exceeded the regional average, with one-third of them owning firearms. Gun ownership increased with income, from only one in seven of those earning less than $20,000 annually to four in 10 of those who earn more than $60,000.

* Just under one-third of men and one-fourth of women said they kept guns in the home.

* Slightly less than one-third of Anglos and blacks said they kept guns, while Latinos (19%) and Asians (13%) reported less firearm ownership.

* Gun ownership in the six-county region varied only slightly among those who said they live in the city, suburbs or small town-rural areas.

Break-ins: One in nine respondents (11%) said their homes had been broken into during the past five years. There was virtually no difference between city and suburban residents, men and women, or among income groups.

* About one in seven blacks reported such break-ins; other ethnic groups were consistent with the overall average. Those who live in minority neighborhoods reported a slightly higher break-in rate (17%), while mixed ethnic or mostly Anglo areas were at the mean.

* Slightly lower incidences of break-ins were reported by those age 65 and older (7%) and people living in a small town or rural area (5%).

Security systems: Almost one in five Southern Californians (18%) has a home security system. Suburbanites are slightly more likely than city dwellers to have such a device, and twice as many homeowners than renters one.

* About three in 10 of those age 65 and over have a security system, compared to about one-fourth of those ages 45-64 and only about one in seven for ages 18-44.

* Three in 10 who earn more than $60,000 per year have a security device; about one in nine in the $10,000-$30,000 range has one.

* Anglos and Asians are more likely--and Latinos less likely--to have security systems.

Gated or secure dwellings: Almost one-sixth (16%) of Southern Californians live in a gated complex or community surrounded by a security fence or protected by a security guard. Differences among areas, gender, income and ethnic groups are negligible.

* Among age groups, only those 18-24 are slightly more likely to live in such a residence.

* Those in multidwelling units and rentals are far more likely than people in single-family homes and owner-occupied residences to be located in a secure community or complex.

* One-fifth of people here 10 years or less fit the secured-residence profile, while just 2% of those here for more than 20 years do.

And what about those who said they lived in a secure complex or community, had an alarm system and kept a gun?

That’s just over 1%.