Cherry Valley named one of safest towns in Illinois

By Kathryn Menue

Editor

CHERRY VALLEY – In a recent study conducted by Consumer Affairs, Consumer Affairs found Cherry Valley to be one of the safest towns to live in within Illinois.

According to Consumer Affairs Representative Natalie Donohue, Consumer Affairs “analyzed FBI and Census Bureau data to create an interactive map displaying the safest cities in the United States.”

The interactive map included studies on burglary odds, changes in burglary rates, crime rates, the number of police officers per 10,000 people, and the amount of crimes reported per day.

From this study, Consumer Affairs concluded that Cherry Valley is one of the safest places to live, based on its number of police officers per capita. Cherry Valley ranked number four on the list in Illinois for most police officers per capita for 2014.

The study found that Cherry Valley’s ranking comes from having 51.15 officers available per 10,000 people, which is exceptionally good seeing as Cherry Valley only has about 3,135 residents, based on a study conducted by City-Data (city-data.com).

The Village of Cherry Valley’s safety rating coincides with their numbers on the police force as well.

According to the Cherry Valley Police Department’s crime records, in 2005, the Cherry Valley Police Department recorded 486 crimes in the area; whereas in 2015, the crime level dropped to only 211 crimes, which is a difference of 275 crimes. In the 10-year span, the crime rate has been dropped to attain these numbers.

The crimes reported in the Cherry Valley Police Department’s records include homicides (0) rape cases (12), robberies (30), aggravated assault/battery (82), violent crimes (124), burglary (320), theft (4,079), motor vehicle theft (59), arson (3), and property crime (4,461).

Cherry Valley was only beaten out by three other cities that each had fewer residents in their towns, which most likely accounts for their higher rankings on the list.

Taking the number one spot on the list is Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., which has a population of around 2,159 people, based on a 2013 study by City Data, and has an average of 110.85 officers available per 10,000 people.

In the second spot on the list is East Hazel Crest, Ill., which has a population of around 1,600 people, based on a 2015 records at East Hazel Crest Village Hall, and has an average of 76.92 police officers available per 10,000 people.

In the third spot on the list is Mount Olive, Ill., which has a population of around 2,054 people, based on a 2013 study by City Data, and has an average of 63.69 police officers available per 10,000 people.

Cherry Valley just beat out Chicago on the list which comes in at number five with a population of about 2.7 million people, based on 2014 Census Bureau records, and has an average of 47.36 police officers available per 10,000 people.

Compared to the rest of the Stateline area, Cherry Valley’s police force numbers per capita are far better.

Rockford was ranked 155 out of 239 cities on the Illinois list, with an average of 20.99 police officers available per 10,000 people, in a city that has a population of about 150,251 individuals, based on the City Data’s 2013 study.

Loves Park was ranked 193 on the list, with an average of 15.24 police officers available per 10,000 people, in a city that has a population of about 23,703 individuals, based on the City Data’s 2013 study.

Machesney Park was ranked 220 on the list, with an average of 11.67 officers available per 10,000 people, in a city that has a population of about 23,205 individuals, based on the City Data’s 2013 study.

Even though Cherry Valley, like any city, has its imperfections, it is still a great town to live in, which is aided by the fact that Consumer Affairs rated it one of the safest cities to live in within Illinois.

About Consumer Affairs

Consumer Affairs is a company that reviews products, services, various organizations and more, ranging anywhere from credit card companies to online dating websites.

“Consumer Affairs is not a government agency and charges a fee to companies to become accredited.”

Consumer Affairs works with these companies to improve companies’ customer services and to “resolve customer complaints.”

For more information or to view other cities’ rankings in the United States, please visit the study’s web page at: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/aaa_alarm_systems.html#safest-cities-policeper10k-il-cherry-valley.

For more information on the Consumer Affairs Company, please visit Consumer Affairs website at: www.consumeraffairs.com.