ADT Elgin, Illinois

Risk Factors Associated With Living in Elgin
Despite the fact that Elgin didn’t make the list of the 25 most dangerous cities in Illinois, residents are very concerned about crime in their community. It seems that every day there are several news stories about violent crime in the local area. Just last year, there were 58 shootings that resulted in four homicides. While violent crime is a problem in the city, property crimes have actually decreased. This can be attributed to proactive policing and residents who are doing all they can to protect their homes and cars. However, there are a few factors that make this once quiet suburb a more risky place to call home. Elgin Mental Health Center Part of the problem may be related to the lack of inpatient mental health treatment in the area. Since the Elgin Mental Health Center had to give up a large portion of their beds to the state in order to treat inmates with serious mental illness, there are significantly fewer spots for members of the community who might need the same type of help. Without a nearby facility to treat them, these people might remain in the community and are likely to self-medicate with street drugs. Because the facility treated patients without public or private insurance, the loss of this valuable service can prove to be detrimental to the overall community. Whether the people who would have sought treatment at Elgin Mental Health Center are likely to commit crime or not, residents have to take measures to protect themselves. One way you can do that is to install a monitored security system on your home to keep yourself and your family safe. Security systems alert authorities to trouble when the family isn’t there to do it themselves. Sometimes mentally ill residents get confused and may attempt to enter the wrong home. Other times, they may purposely break into a house in order to steal small items they can sell for drug money. Unfortunately, going to jail may be the only way a mental ill person can get the treatment they need. Deterring these types of crimes is the most effective way to keep your family safe from a potentially dangerous situation. Gangs Untreated mentally ill patients are not all Elgin residents need to worry about. Gangs are a problem throughout Illinois and although the authorities are doing their best to keep crime under control in Elgin, residents are still at risk of being an innocent bystander of gang violence. Law abiding citizens should not have to be afraid to leave their homes. Although it’s always best to try to avoid dangerous situations, some people feel safer going out in public if they have their own firearm. Illinois residents who want to own and carry a gun must go through the proper steps to avoid getting into trouble with the law. In order to own a gun or have one in your possession, you must have a FOID card. To be safe, everyone in your home should have their own card. This ensures that no one will get into trouble if they are alone with the weapon. Next, in order to carry the gun in public, you’ll need a concealed carry license. You’ll need to submit an application, pay a fee and complete 16 hours of instruction in order to get the license. Even though you may qualify for and receive a concealed carry license, some businesses will not allow you to carry your weapon inside so don’t depend on your gun to keep you safe in all situations. The good news is, most shootings are not random. Typically, the shooter and victim know each other. There’s no way to know what a gang might be up to unless you are a member. Therefore, you need to ensure that your own home is a safe haven for your family. A security system can offer some reassurance that police will be on the way quickly. Other strategies include owning a dog that will either deter or attack a would-be criminal before they get a chance to harm you or your family, installing secure locks for all of your entry doors and keeping the front of your home free of obstacles that could block the view of your house from the neighbors and give a burglar a place to hide. Property Values The crime trends in Elgin may not shift anytime soon. As longtime residents start to move out of the area, selling their homes at a loss or opting to rent out their properties because they aren’t able to find a buyer, more people who don’t have a connection to the area are moving in. More renters typically equates to lower property values because statistically, renters don’t value their home in the same way as owners. Although police are using all the tools at their disposal to stop crime before it happens, they can’t prevent every burglary. In October 2016, only about 13% of homes that were listed were actually sold. Since it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find someone who wants to purchase your Elgin home, it’s important for you to have a security system installed to protect it. When neighborhoods are safer, people are willing to purchase homes there. Until this trend shifts, people who choose to stay in Elgin must do what they can to keep their home and family secure. In most cases, a monitored security system with high definition cameras is the answer people are looking for when it comes to feeling secure inside their house.