READING, MASS. — A Middlesex County commuter rail town of 25,612 residents recorded zero homicides in the most recent year tracked by crime analysts, and NeighborhoodScout ranks Reading safer than 62 percent of U.S. cities. That statistical safety record has not stopped local retailers, contractors and property managers from calling in professional security coverage as downtown redevelopment and commuter rail traffic bring more strangers through town every year.
By Derek Kreymer, Operations Manager
Hub Security and Investigative Group provides security guard services in Reading, MA — armed and unarmed guards, mobile patrol, and licensed private investigation services — for a Middlesex County town of 25,612 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate) eleven miles north of Boston along the Boston and Maine Railroad line. Reading was incorporated in 1644 and still has the state’s oldest surviving house, the 1694 Parker Tavern. The town’s downtown sits around the MBTA Commuter Rail stop at Depot Square, and its 19th-century furniture, clock and casket-making industries have given way to a mix of retail, professional offices and multi-family redevelopment under the town’s 40R zoning program.
Security Built Around Reading’s Districts
Downtown Reading — the Haven Street and Depot Square corridor around the commuter rail station — carries the heaviest foot traffic in town, with restaurants, boutiques and the public library drawing residents and commuters alike. Hub Security assigns retail security officers to this stretch during business hours and evening peaks.
The neighborhoods surrounding Lake Quannapowitt — the site of Reading’s original 1639 settlement — are almost entirely residential, with single-family homes backing onto the lake’s walking path and conservation land. Hub provides residential security patrols through these streets, particularly during the winter months when many homes sit unoccupied for stretches at a time.
Office parks along the Route 128 and Route 93 approach into Reading house professional services firms, insurance offices and small corporate campuses. Hub’s corporate security teams cover access control and after-hours checks at these sites.
Reading’s 40R downtown redevelopment program has put multiple mixed-use and multi-family projects under construction near the town center in recent years. Hub supplies construction site security guards to protect equipment, materials and partially built structures on these active sites.
What Local Crime Data Actually Shows
Reading recorded a violent crime rate of 0.38 per 1,000 residents, according to FBI crime data compiled by NeighborhoodScout — far below the Massachusetts state average of 3.15 per 1,000. Property crime in Reading came in at 5.34 per 1,000 residents, less than half the statewide average of 11.12 per 1,000. NeighborhoodScout’s most recent index ranked Reading as safer than 62 percent of U.S. cities and towns, with no homicides recorded in the latest reporting year.
Those figures describe a town with a low baseline crime rate, not a town without security exposure. Reading’s downtown redevelopment has added construction sites carrying tools and building materials, its commercial buildings along Haven Street hold cash and merchandise overnight, and its office parks near the highway see turnover in tenants and after-hours access. Hub Security’s local officers and mobile patrol supervisors are positioned to catch the property crime, trespassing and access-control problems that a low violent-crime rate does not prevent.
Coverage by District
| District | Key Local Features | Hub Security Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown / Haven Street & Depot Square | MBTA Commuter Rail station, retail storefronts, restaurants, Reading Public Library | Retail & foot patrol security |
| Lake Quannapowitt area | Original 1639 settlement site, residential streets, conservation walking path | Residential patrol |
| Route 128 / 93 office corridor | Professional services and insurance offices, small corporate campuses | Corporate security |
| 40R downtown redevelopment sites | Active multi-family and mixed-use construction | Construction site security |
What Hub Security Provides in Reading
- Retail security officers for Haven Street and Depot Square storefronts and restaurants
- Residential security patrols around Lake Quannapowitt and surrounding neighborhoods
- Corporate security for office parks along the Route 128/93 corridor
- Construction site security guards for 40R redevelopment projects near downtown
- Mobile patrol with GPS-verified checkpoints across all Reading routes
- Background check services and corporate investigations for Reading employers
Serving Reading and the Surrounding Area
Hub Security and Investigative Group covers the towns bordering Reading along the Route 128 and I-93 corridors as part of the same regional patrol network. Reading crews frequently roll directly into these adjacent service areas the same shift.
- Our coverage in Woburn
- Our coverage in Burlington
- Our coverage in Wilmington
- Our coverage in Lexington
Why Reading Businesses and Residents Choose Hub
- Massachusetts-licensed for both security guard services and private investigation work
- Fully insured, with background-checked and trained officers on every post
- GPS patrol tracking and unannounced supervisor inspections on every shift
- Local management that knows Reading’s streets and districts — not a national call center or app-based broker
- 24/7 emergency dispatch at (617) 857-1200
Frequently Asked Questions
Is security guard coverage necessary in a town with Reading’s low crime rate? Yes. Reading’s violent crime rate of 0.38 per 1,000 is well below the state average, but property crime, trespassing and unauthorized access still occur at construction sites, retail stores and office buildings regardless of the town’s overall safety ranking. Hub’s officers address those specific exposures.
Does Hub Security provide both armed and unarmed guards in Reading? Yes. Hub supplies both armed and unarmed officers in Reading depending on the site, risk level and client preference, along with supervised mobile patrol coverage.
Is Hub Security licensed to conduct private investigations in Massachusetts? Yes. Hub Security and Investigative Group holds Massachusetts licensing for both security guard services and private investigation work, including background checks and corporate investigations for Reading businesses.
What areas of Reading does Hub Security cover? Hub covers all of Reading, including downtown Haven Street and Depot Square, the Lake Quannapowitt neighborhoods, the Route 128/93 office corridor, and active 40R construction sites near the town center.
Call Hub Security & Investigative Group at (617) 857-1200 for a free consultation on security guard services in Reading, MA, or request a quote online.