Village ranked 30th of state’s safest communities
HUNTLEY – An April report by home security consultants Safewise named Huntley 30th of the 50 safest communities in Illinois, and Sun City is getting a significant amount of credit for the honor.
Hunltey was recently ranked the 30th safest community in Illinois by home security consultants Safewise. (Photo Provided)
In a letter to all Neighborhood Watch coordinators and block captains throughout the village, Huntley Police Chief John Perkins gave NW organizations some of the credit for achieving this recognition.
“The distinction was awarded based on FBI statistics for both violent and property crimes,” he said. “Members of the Huntley Police Department work hard to keep our village free of crime, but we cannot do this alone. The many volunteers and civic groups have a major impact on our success.
“This is especially true for the Neighborhood Watch programs. The diligence of the program directly prevents crime. There is no better example of this than the reduction of daytime burglaries in Sun City,” Perkins said.
According to police, the number of burglaries declined from nine in 2012 to five in 2013, and none so far in 2014. Perkins said these figures correspond with an increase in calls from Huntley residents about suspicious activities and people.
“Thank you for your help in making Huntley one of the safest cities in Illinois and please keep up your attentiveness,” Perkins said.
In late 2013, Sun City’s Neighborhood Watch program received an award from the National Association of Town Watch for its communication and “good will” efforts among Sun City’s 41 neighborhoods and more than 9,000 residents.
Under the leadership of Ken Andersen, Marilynn Berendt, and Bob Gienko, the Sun City Neighborhood Watch/Neighbors Helping Neighbors program pioneered a nationally recognized communication program and developed an effective re-certification program for Sun City neighborhoods’ calling trees.
“Chief Perkins acknowledges the importance and impact of the many volunteers and civic groups that help them to succeed in reaching this goal, especially our Neighborhood Watch program,” Lauren Lee, Sun City Community Association executive director, said in a recent email blast. “Our thanks go out to the Neighborhood Watch board, coordinators, block captains, and all the residents who help make Huntley a safe and great place to live.”
