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St. Louis break-ins and home security
SLMPD reported about 140 homicides in 2025, a 12-year low, with Part I crime down 16 percent versus 2024. Those are citywide numbers. They are not a reason to leave a Soulard side door unlocked on a Tuesday while you sit on I-64.
The City of St. Louis is its own jurisdiction, not a county. Citywide figures mix Downtown, Soulard, Lafayette Square, The Hill, and north and south patrol. A quieter street is not 24/7 monitoring, and a neighbor on the porch is not an ADT operator. We do not publish neighborhood crime rates.
Mayor Cara Spencer is in office. Police Chief Robert Tracy leads SLMPD. The reason people still order is occupancy: porch packages, a tried door, and houses that sit empty after drop-off or a commute on I-64, I-70, I-44, or I-55.
Boxes on Soulard, Lafayette Square, and Downtown porches
Walkable streets are why people add a doorbell. Soulard, Lafayette Square, The Hill, and Downtown houses collect boxes on porches while owners are at work, on I-64, or downtown. A camera you check yourself is useful. It is not the same as ADT calling you when a door opens.
The system is for the hours no one is looking out the window — not a claim that Kirkwood or Chesterfield is dangerous.
School drop-off empties the same doors
St. Louis Public Schools drop-off empties in-city two-stories. Kirkwood, Clayton, Parkway, Rockwood, Webster Groves, and Ferguson-Florissant calendars empty those towns until pickup. A WashU or SLU class day empties nearby doors the same way. That is when people want the system armed.
Sources: St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 2025 year-end (Chief Robert Tracy); Mayor Cara Spencer. Numbers change. We cite the year. We do not publish neighborhood crime rates.
Who comes if the alarm trips?
ADT can request help based on the alert type. Inside the city that is typically SLMPD. Clayton, Kirkwood, Chesterfield, St. Charles, and county desks dispatch differently. Confirm the office from your ZIP. City of St. Louis ARFAM registration is $25. We do not invent a dollar for a city we have not confirmed.