Crime in the Hood

I've always found it odd that crime in our old neighborhood, and other historical and more expensive areas of the city, aren't hit harder by illegal activity. Because if you're going to break-in a home, wouldn't you do so in a place where you're most likely to net the most return? Maybe it's the watch programs that are in place that keep the burglars away. Either way, I've been thinking about it as once we move back to Chicago, we won't be protected by "locked buildings" and third floor residences.

So today, when I received a note from our block captain in Chicago about a break-in two blocks up the street, while the owners were sleeping, I became a bit disturbed. Someone entered the house from a rear window, the only window that wasn't locked, stole their wallets, and began making charges around 3:30 a.m. My first thought was, "Did they have a dog?" Then I wondered, "Did they have a security system?"

Having worked for ADT in marketing while living in Denver, one of our biggest selling challenges was that home owners didn't believe they needed a system if they owned a dog. Not that the dog stops a burglary, but if you want to enter a house quietly, ones with dogs make that a bit more difficult. For example, Maddie would bark. And not that she would attack, but she's a 70 pound black and tan mix so when she growls, she looks fierce.

All of which means I'll be making sure our house is fitted properly with an ADT security system - one that protects all of us. I don't want to worry about someone entering the house while I'm sleeping unless it's Santa Claus about to deliver my new BMW 1 Coupe.