ADT Haverhill, Massachusetts
| Haverhill, MA is Struggling Against Gangs and a Heroin Crisis |
| Haverhill, MA was the first city in the U.S. to erect a statue in honor of a woman. In 1697, there was constant trouble between the settlers and the native Abenaki Indians. Hannah Dustin was the wife of a farmer and was taken captive by a small war party. The legend says that after a couple hard days of travel, the Abenaki warriors celebrated by getting drunk on spirits stolen from the settlers. Somehow, Hannah managed to get free, killing her captors and finding her way home. Her escape was an extremely unusual event. Few captured settlers were ever seen again. The Heroin Crisis Today, Haverhill is being troubled by a different problem – heroin and other opioids. Cities throughout the Merrimack Valley region of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including Haverhill, are facing an epidemic of heroin addiction. Most families know someone who is addicted or died from an overdose. Heroin addiction is accompanied by crime, both from the gangs selling the drugs and from the addicts breaking into homes to support their drug use. Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, representing the district that includes Haverhill, introduced several bills in Congress proposing funding to fight the heroin crisis. This, and other factors have made Haverhill less safe than it once was. We highly recommend an ADT Security system in Haverhill, including cameras and a full Alarm system. Call ADT to see what your options are, and don’t delay! The Haverhill Gang Task Force Haverhill law enforcement established the Haverhill Gang Task Force to fight back against the drug-dealing gangs with a more targeted effort. A number of arrests have been made, but there always seem to be new gang members to replace those sent to prison. A Dominican street gang came up with a new twist in 2015: kidnap the drug dealers, steal their drugs and cash and then hold them for ransom. Since the kidnap victims were all criminals, the Dominican gang members believed that no one would report these crimes to the police. Feuding street gangs are a constant problem in Haverhill, especially in the high crime Mount Washington and Acre areas. Gang members fight with baseball bats, knives and guns. This violence sometimes affects innocent people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Haverhill’s Crime Rate Haverhill’s overall crime rate, especially the crime rate for burglaries and forced entries, is higher than average. Haverhill is rated as a more dangerous place to live than 74% of all cities in the U.S. It is only about a half hour from Boston, MA and several other cities, all suffering from similar drug and gang problems. The center of the city has the highest crime rates. The safest neighborhoods are located in the outskirts of Haverhill. Too Many Kids in Haverhill Drop Out of School The public schools in Haverhill are suffering from the consequences of the drug epidemic and the gang influences. Minorities make up 33% of the student body, most from South America. In Haverhill, only 65% of the students will remain in high school and graduate. This is far below the Massachusetts state average graduation rate of 85%. Without an education, employment is much more difficult in a very competitive New England economy. This is reflected in the crime statistics. Use These Surprising Burglary Statistics to Protect Your Family and Home Every 18 seconds, a burglary takes place in the U.S. These facts can be used by Haverhill residents to protect their homes and families. About 60% of all burglars avoid homes with a monitored home security system. Many homes are unprotected, making them far safer to break into. Make sure that signs are posted at all entrances to the home advertising that the home has a security system. Most burglaries occur during 10:00 am and 3:00 pm when people are at work. Motion-activated security cameras can be set up to alert you when someone is in the house. Check and see who it is and then decide whether or not to call the police. Most burglaries are committed by someone who lives within a couple miles. Try to vary your daily routine and have a neighbor pick up mail when you’ll be away. The average burglary only takes 10 minutes. The use of high quality doors and strong locks at all entrances can delay a burglar long enough to cause many to give up and choose to rob another home. The master bedroom is the #1 target of burglars. They will tear apart the room searching for drugs, guns and cash. Install a solid wooden door on the bedroom and lock it when not at home. If the home has a security system and the burglar can be delayed for a short time, this may be long enough for the police to reach the home. About 30% of burglars have absolutely no problem getting in because the homeowner left the door or a window unlocked. Alarms on doors and windows will greatly increase the chances of not being robbed. Don’t allow tall shrubbery to grow near doors and windows. A thief will use it to hide behind while attempting to break in. Keep the yard well-lit at night. This will act as a deterrent against thieves. One in three burglaries gets in through the front door. If the door is locked with one of the cheap, common locks, these offer no problem to even a half-skilled thief. A heavy-duty deadbolt, security camera, motion detector and a new smart doorbell will keep out all but the most determined criminals. Never hide a key outside the home. Most people use similar hiding places, easily located by burglars. The average burglary is going to cost the homeowner over $2,200. Even worse, someone is home during one-third of all break-ins. Imagine how dangerous it would be to have a desperate drug addict or gang member confronting you or a member of your family. For this reason, try to always keep your security system armed. In Haverhill, the criminals are out there and always looking for victims. A home security system will dramatically increase your chances of not becoming one. We recommend Calling ADT so they can come out and install a home security system for Haverhill. |