A recent study conducted by Vivint, a smart-home security company, shows Atlanta, Georgia as one of the top ten most “unsafe” U.S. cities during the holidays.
The 50 largest U.S. cities were given a “risk score” based on combined “property crime data, Google search trends, and other security factors” to rank each area by its crime risk, according to Vivint.
Other factors that went into determining an area’s risk score includes data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), Google Trends searches related to holiday security, security features for Airbnb listings, registered Neighborhood Watch groups, National Insurance Crime Bureau statistics, and the data of two surveys.
Atlanta, according to the data, is the eighth most unsafe city in the U.S. during the holidays with a risk score of 58.05.
Meanwhile, St. Louis, Missouri is the most unsafe city during the holidays (risk score: 62.49) followed by Newark, Delaware (risk score: 62.46) and Salt Lake City, Utah (risk score: 60.20), according to the data.
Bill White, the leader of a movement that looked to de-annex the Buckhead community from Atlanta and create a new city, commented on the data, calling it “HORROR.”
The most common holiday crimes experienced by homeowners, according to the study, include package theft (67 percent), vandalism of holiday decor (16 percent), theft of holiday decor (13 percent), home break-in (13 percent), and vehicle break-in (13 percent).
“Neary 2 in 5 American homeowners have experienced property crime during one or both of the past two holiday seasons,” Vivint noted in its study. “Nearly 50 percent of Americans who experienced property crime during the last two holiday seasons reported at least $100 in losses and/or damages.”
In order to find out the “most effective ways” to secure a home during the holidays, Vivent surveyed 150 people who have committed a crime. Seventy percent of those surveyed with a criminal history said a home’s lack of visible security measures makes it a good target.
The best ways to deter property crime, according to the smart-home security company, is to install motion sensor lights, loud alarms or sirens, reinforced doors, window security barriers, visibly active security cameras, and to display signs warning of large pets or use of a security system.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Atlanta at Night” by Mike CC2.0.
