Taking a Look at Crime Rates in Skokie, IL
People living in Skokie have the advantage of living near Chicago and all the historical interest, arts and cultural diversity that this city provides while living in a city with less crime. Unfortunately, they also have to deal with a harsh climate and a higher than average cost of living. Although the crime rates in the city aren’t as high as in some other nearby cities, it can still be a good idea to get some type of home security system.
Overall Crime
Crime overall in Skokie is about 20 percent lower than average for the U.S., and the number of crimes decreased by about 2 percent between 2014 and 2015. Residents in the city have a 1 in 44 chance of becoming the victim of some type of crime in any given year, but Skokie is still safer than about 47 percent of other cities in the country. There are about 23.03 crimes per 1,000 residents each year. While the crime rate per person is relatively low, the crime rate per square mile is quite high at 148 crimes per square mile compared to the national average of just 32 crimes per square mile. Part of the reason for this statistic to be so high is the relatively high population density in the city.
Violent Crime
The violent crime rate is Skokie is 2.38 crimes per 1,000 residents each year, which is lower than the national average of 3.8 crimes per 1,000 residents. The rates for all types of violent crime, including murder, rape, robbery and assault are all lower than the national average, but there is still a 1 in 421 chance that a resident of the city will become a victim of some sort of violent crime in any given year.
Property Crime
Skokie has a lower than average amount of property crime, with 20.66 crimes per 1,000 residents compared to a national average of 24.9 crimes per 1,000 residents. Of these, 3.56 crimes per 1,000 residents consist of burglaries. A resident in the city has a 1 in 48 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in any given year. Thefts make up 68 percent of the crime in Skokie, with a further 17 percent of crimes consisting of burglaries. While thefts are much more common than burglaries, it can still make sense to have some type of home security system. Just installing one of these systems and putting up the signs that the monitoring company provides can make your home about one-third less likely to be targeted by burglars. Burglars are more likely to target homes that are easier to burglarize without being noticed, such as those that have unlocked doors or windows or that aren’t very visible from the neighbors. Make sure to secure all potential entrances, trim back any bushes or trees that could provide cover for a burglar and install lights (preferably on motion sensors) near all of the doors.
Police Presence
Skokie employs 142 law enforcement professionals, which means it has a ratio of 2.2 police officers per 1,000 residents. This is less that the average for IL of 2.6 officers per 1,000 residents and the national average of 3.3 officers per 1,000 residents. The average police response time in the city is 4.7 minutes for emergency calls and 9.6 minutes for all calls, which is lower than the overall average for the U.S. of 11 minutes. This response time varied throughout the year, with the average response times ranging from 3.6 to 13.5 minutes depending on the time of day and the season. General noncriminal calls could have a response time of up to 30 minutes. If you want to make it more likely that the police will show up at your home before a burglar leaves, consider installing a video verified alarm system. These systems will send a video clip that shows what set the alarm off so the police will know that there actually is a burglary going on and that it’s not just another false alarm. This will put the burglary closer to the top of their priority list. Typically, alarm calls are near the bottom of the priority list because over 95 percent of them are usually false alarms.
Safest Areas to Live In
Within Skokie, certain neighborhoods are a bit safer than others. These include 4 Winds Way/Church Street, Skokie Boulevard/Church Street, Knowledge Systems Institute/Dempster Street and Oakton Street/Long Avenue. The riskiest area to live in is Harms Road/Old Orchard Road. It’s best to live in a neighborhood with a higher concentration of burglar alarms, as the more burglar alarms there are in a neighborhood, the less likely any home in that neighborhood will be burglarized (as long as you’re not the only home without an alarm). People who worry about the crime rate in Skokie could move to a nearby city with a lower crime rate. Good options to consider include Golf, Buffalo Grove, La Grange Park and Northfield, all of which have significantly less than half of the crime of Skokie.
Alarm Considerations
In order to have an alarm system in Skokie, you need to register it with the police department, which costs $25 the first year and $20 each year after that. You’re allowed two false alarms per year before being charged fees, with the 3rd to 5th false alarms costing $50 each and the 6th and 7th false alarms costing $100 each. Further false alarms cost $200 each and the alarm permit may be revoked after 12 false alarms in one year.