ADT Middleton, Ohio
Avoid Being a Victim in a High-Crime Neighborhood
It’s no secret that crime is a problem in Middletown. While this is a common problem in any city that has a poverty rate like Middletown, that fact doesn’t make the residents feel any safer. It seems that reports of shootings, murders and property crimes are so common many people don’t even see them as news anymore. However, if you live in this little city near Cincinnati and Dayton, there are some things you can do to reduce your chances of being a victim. Instead of living your life in fear inside your home, follow these tips to keep yourself and your family safe.
Avoid High Crime Areas
There are certain places in Middletown that people who aren’t interested in committing or being a victim of crime avoid. Certain bars are known to have problems on a regular basis. They might be hubs for drug activity or just prone to violence. Avoiding the bars and the streets where the bars are located during their peak hours could help you stay safe. Although there might be some suitable places to have a drink during happy hour within the Middletown city limits, many people travel to places like West Chester or even Cincinnati if they want to drink or party outside their home.
Secure Your Home
Violent crime tends to make the news more than thefts from cars and burglaries from homes but these property offenses are a real problem in Middletown as well. Like other cities where the majority of children are eligible for free lunch, all residents are at risk for having their belongings taken from their home while they are at work or even running errands. It doesn’t really matter if you think you have anything worth stealing in your home, a drug addict or petty thief is likely to find something there that they can sell for some quick cash.
The best way to secure your home is to get a monitored security system. Although this may be a more expensive option, it is also more likely to keep burglars out of your house than a simple alarm that makes a loud noise when your home is compromised. With a monitored system through ADT Middleton, Ohio, your neighbors don’t have to be responsible for contacting the police and you won’t have to worry about annoying them with false alarms. While basic alarms might serve as a deterrent, it’s possible that people will begin to ignore them, as was the case with car alarms a decade or so ago.
In addition to securing your home, you’ll also need to make sure you lock your car doors every time you leave your vehicle. Stealing items from a car is much easier than breaking into a house. Be sure to remove your purse or wallet and any loose change from sight. Although a small amount of money might seem insignificant to you, it could signal to a thief that you may have left more in your car. Since they are probably just looking for an easy target, keeping everything valuable out of sight and locking your doors is usually enough to prevent a car break-in.
Buy Insurance
Whether you rent or own your home, you need insurance. Despite everything you do to keep yourself and your family safe, it’s possible that someone could get into your home and take your property. Having insurance won’t help you get your property back from the thief but it will help you replace what you lost. Keep records of your valuables so you know what’s missing if your home is ever burglarized. This will help you file your insurance claim and get the money you need to replace what was taken. It’s important to understand that landlords have insurance that covers their property but not the belongings of individual tenants. Only renters insurance can offer that.
Many insurance companies offer discounts to customers who bundle their auto and renters insurance together. This could result in a significant savings. You could save even more money on your insurance if you have a monitored security system installed. Security alarms reduce the risk of break ins so they make it less likely the insurance company will have to pay a claim. Renters and homeowners who are proactive and install these systems are rewarded for their efforts with lower rates. Having this extra layer of protection can give you some peace of mind. Of course, you shouldn’t take any unnecessary risks, like leaving your blinds open so passersby can see what you have inside your home.
Despite the high crime rate, many people stay in Middletown because that is where their family and friends live. If you are going to stay in the city, you have to take deliberate actions to protect yourself and your children. These precautions can make your life more enjoyable and help your children grow up happy as well. It isn’t necessary to be afraid of living your life. There are plenty of good people in Middletown who aren’t interested in committing crime or victimizing their neighbors.
Unfortunately, the high rate of drug use in the city is fueling both violent and property crimes. Drug users who don’t have a source of income to get the heroin the want and need are stealing from responsible citizens and drug dealers are primarily responsible for the violent crime in the city. The good news is, people who aren’t involved with drugs are unlikely to be a victim of a violent crime if they stay away from the places where drug dealers congregate. Residents are less likely to be a victim of a burglary if they install and arm their own security system.
ADT Rochester, Minnesota
ADT Columbia, Missouri
How Worried Should Residents Be About Home Security in Columbia, MO
Columbia, Missouri is centrally located in Boone County, just under 30 miles north of the state’s capital and almost equidistant from St. Louis and Kansas City. This college town is unusually diverse for the area, largely due to a constant influx of both students and professionals. More than eight percent of the city’s population is foreign-born, with people of all backgrounds coming together to form a colorful and unique mid-western town.
The city is home to three major colleges and universities, including Stephens College, the University of Missouri, and Columbia College. The proliferation of students leads it to be one of the more progressive towns in the mid-west, both in terms of politics and the arts. Education and culture are in high demand, with over half the population holding at least a Bachelor’s degree, and almost a quarter pursuing post-graduate education.
Unsurprisingly, the city’s economy is heavily dependent on the colleges. A full half of the top employers in the area are actively affiliated with the University of Missouri or its other schools. The geography of the city is also heavily influenced by the presence of these institutions. Downtown Columbia consists of a one square mile area surrounded on three sides by institutes of learning. It contains a financial and business district in addition to beautiful historical architecture. Its densest commercial areas, however, are primarily found along its major thoroughfares: Interstate 70, Route 63, and Stadium Boulevard.
Most of the city’s residents live in an area that forms a ring around downtown Columbia. There are 63 government-recognized neighborhood associations within city limits. Of these neighborhoods, the safest are closer to the downtown area, with higher rates of crime being reported closer to the outskirts of the city.
When it comes to crime, Columbia’s picturesque architecture and proliferation of institutes of higher learning hide a less palatable truth. Overall crime rates are fairly high for a city its size. Residents’ chances of becoming a victim of violent crime hover at right around the national level: 1 in 271, versus 1 in 226 state-wide. However, levels of property crimes are significantly higher.
On average, 1 in 27 residents falls victim to a property crime, including burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft, each year. The vast majority of these crimes are comprised of acts of simple theft. 3,339 victims of theft reported the crime last year alone. These statistics do not place Columbia at the top of the nation’s, or even the state’s, most dangerous cities lists. They do, however, stand out as being remarkably high when compared to other cities its size. With a population of just under 117,000 and a total area of 63.5 square miles, it is not an overwhelmingly large urban center. Most cities this size across the country do not experience the elevated crime rates seen in more densely populated areas, but, unfortunately, Columbia is the exception.
The most dangerous areas to live in are, as noted, far from downtown. Neighborhoods like Huntsdale, Pierpont, and Shaw all experience much higher crime rates than the areas around the colleges. This is likely due to a more substantial police presence in and around the downtown area. The city’s only police department is located at 600 E Walnut St, where crime rates are notably lower. Surprisingly there does not seem to be any correlation between crime and a neighborhood’s proximity to the Boone County Jail, which is the only correctional facility in the area.
Residents of North Glenwood also appreciate an elevated level of security, as the city’s one official Neighborhood Watch program, the North Glenwood Neighborhood Watch Group, is located at 108 N Glenwood Ave. The presence of official watch groups and cohesive community ties among neighbors can provide a strong deterrent to crime. With well over 50% of the population having moved into their current residence within the last ten years, though, it can be hard to form the kind of sincere community ties necessary to ensure a home’s protection.
Those who live in areas that are not covered by the city’s one official watch program, and do not enjoy the benefits of proximity to the local police, may want to consider taking additional measures to secure their homes and properties. Alarm systems and ADT Columbia, Missouri security systems, ranging from simple wireless door alarms to much more extensive arrays of security cameras and motion-activated lights, can all play a role in keeping residents and their families safe.
Local security companies include Tiger Security Service on W Nifong Boulevard, Advanced Security in the Rock Bridge Shopping Center, and Alarm Communications Center on N Providence Rd. A wide variety of national carriers also offer alarm services in the Columbia area. Those who are living in the more dangerous neighborhoods noted above, spend large amounts of time away from home for business or pleasure, or are simply looking for the added comfort of a little extra security, may want to look into alarm systems monitored by external companies.
Advances in alarm technology also allow for a more hands-on approach. Specialized security cameras, like those provided by companies like ADT Columbia, Missouri, now exist that can be directly monitored from homeowner’s cell phones, allowing them to keep an eye on the home even when they are away. Of course all of these added security measures do not replace the need for good old-fashioned common sense. Those planning to leave their homes vacant, whether for several days or several weeks, should ensure that they have stopped mail and newspaper deliveries to their homes and inform nearby neighbors that they will be gone, so that any questionable activity will not go unnoticed.
ADT Middleton, Ohio