The first-time buyer: What's the deal with Logan Square?

securitycamera.jpgSo I’m sitting on the bus this morning fantasizing about buying an affordable brick home in a neighborhood like Logan Square when I glance at my RedEye and see that a group called the Logan Square Concerned Citizens is asking for security cameras to monitor Logan Square after a woman was sexually assaulted on the 2700 block of North Albany Avenue early Saturday.

In the story the local alderman is quoted as saying that the neighborhood’s crime statistics do not qualify it for cameras along Milwaukee Avenue (what, is there a quota you have to meet?) but that he will look for discretionary money in the 2007 budget. Does Logan Square need cameras? Are they effective? Do privacy concerns trump safety issues?

Do I want to live in a neighborhood with security cameras? Do they make the neighborhood appear safe or scummy? I don’t really have a problem with cameras but I’d rather see police conduct more regular patrols, because cameras are rarely monitored in real time and I’d rather get immediate help in my time of need, not just some handy evidence for the prosecutor. I definitedly don’t like the idea of living in a neighborhood stigmatized by those flashing blue police lights. Think I’ll have to look beyond perceptions and check out Logan Square’s crime stats and decide for myself.

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