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Chicago Home Security

Chicago is the largest city in Illinois and the 3rd largest city in the United States.  It is home to approximately 3 million people and represents a diverse demographic base.  This population figure excludes other nearby cities such as Elgin, Aurora, Rockford and Joliet. 

According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, in 2008 an incident of property crime took place in Chicago approximately every 4 minutes.  The area has experienced a clear increase in property crime rates and burglaries represent a large portion of those crimes.  In 2008, in Chicago alone, a burglary occurred approximately every 20 minutes.  Note that these statistics do not include home invasions carried out for other disturbing purposes such as: assault, rape, murder or arson.

Chicago	Total Violent Crimes	Murder & non-negligent manslaughter	Robbery	Aggravated assault	Total Property Crimes	Burglary	Larceny-theft	Motor vehicle theft
# of Incidents	n/a	510	16,653	17,032	131,053	26,041	86,043	18,969
vs. U.S. Average per capita	n/a	260% Higher	375% Higher	189% Higher	75% Higher	32% Higher	40% Higher	109% Higher

Perhaps now is an appropriate time to take a good look at your current home security situation.  Do you even have an alarm system?  Is it time to install a wireless system? Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or you'd prefer the input of a fully trained home security specialist, there are countless options available toward helping you to improve Chicago home security.

Bear in mind that adding various Chicago home security elements such as a monitored alarm systems or wireless security cameras will generally lead to substantial savings in your homeowner's insurance premiums. 

The Chicago Police Department sponsors various programs in order to further assist you in securing your neighborhood.  Contact them for assistance with issues such as forming a Neighborhood Watch or setting up a temporary residential security check (for vacationing or hospitalized residents).  They also host a once per year event called National Night Out Against Crime which promotes citizen's involvement through a crime prevention safety fair. As an additional service, Chicago PD maintains a current database of registered sex offenders.

As the statistics clearly demonstrate, this area is at substantial risk and Chicago home security should be a top priority.