54%, 46%, 22% – What do these numbers have in common?

There have been numerous reports that the crime rate in the United States is on the decline. Preliminary numbers on 2009″s Uniform Crime Report (UCR), from the FBI, which aggregates data from police departments all over the country, do indeed show that overall crime was down. Using a 10 year average is a popular way many police departments claim the claim is lower.

After a little digging on this topic, it was surprising. Especially for anyone who has read this headline the news, “despite recession crime is down in the US.” The national averages and 10 year data range comparisons distort the reality of crime numbers.

The research conducted focused on three specific cities, to find out what is really happening in our neighborhoods. It is for individuals that aren”t interested in crime rates when compared to 1999, but rather knowing the pulse of crime in 2010 vs. 2009. More specifically, the investigation focused on home security and apartment security in Boston, Houston and Oakland.

What did we find?

While overall crime is indeed down, burglary is skyrocketing in many cities large and small.

For many years cities have focused on reducing the violent crime rate and have neglected property crime. The result is that burglary is on the rise and your safety in your own home is increasingly in question.

54% rise in burglaries in Boston, Massachusetts.
47% rise in residential robberies in Oakland, California.
(This means burglars are entering homes more frequently with weapons)
17% rise in non-violent burglaries in Oakland
22% rise in burglaries Houston, Texas, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
Apartments are especially vulnerable.

Houston, in particular, reported that apartment buildings have been repeatedly targeted this year. Burglars are seeking ways to hit multiple apartments in one building and increase their yield of easy-money electronics. This statistic might surprise you – 60 apartment buildings were hit by burglars more than 20 times each last year!

This highlights why apartment security is such a concern. Apartments are 85% more likely to get robbed than any other domicile (as reported by The National Crime Prevention Council).

While these are just three cities, they represent three very different parts of our country and share a common problem: burglary.

What You Can Do

~ Pay Attention. Oakland’s burglary Detective, Oliver Cunningham, says this: “Most important of all is for communities to remain alert and involved. Residents should always pay attention to any suspicious vehicles in the neighborhood. Slow down and look. Just glare at them. I”m telling you, that will scare the living-you-know what out of them. Burglars spread information through word of mouth, and if a neighborhood has a reputation for having nosey neighbors, criminals may choose to avoid it.”

~ Get to Know Your Neighbors. Getting to know your neighbors will help build a strong apartment community. You’ll be more likely to notice if someone looks out of place if you are familiar with those living around you.

~ Protect Your Property. Seems like common sense, right? How many renters or apartment owners do you know that have a security system in place? Not many? Not surprising. There is a stigma that security systems are both cumbersome and expensive. This is not the case anymore. There are wireless units, like SimpliSafe, that take less than a minute to install and have monitoring programs available for less than $15 per month.

These three simple steps can help keep your family and belongings safe and secure.