West Springfield broke away from Springfield and incorporated as its own town on February 23, 1774, after settlers on the western bank of the Connecticut River grew tired of being governed from across the water. That river became the town’s defining boundary rather than its center, and the commercial spine that grew up to serve the west-bank settlers — what is now Riverdale Street — has been the town’s busiest corridor ever since. In 1917, the town added a second draw: the Eastern States Exposition, the fairgrounds that host the “Big E” each September and remain one of the region’s largest seasonal employers.
By Derek Kreymer, Operations Manager
Hub Security and Investigative Group provides security guard services in West Springfield, MA — armed and unarmed guards, mobile patrol, and licensed private investigation services — for a Hampden County town of 28,772 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate) on the west bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from the city of Springfield. West Springfield is home to the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds, the Riverdale Street retail corridor along Route 5, and the Josiah Day House, believed to be the oldest brick saltbox-style residence in the country.
Security Built Around West Springfield’s Districts
The Riverdale Street corridor along Route 5, one of the busiest retail strips in the Pioneer Valley, generates constant vehicle and foot traffic and relies on our retail security services for loss prevention and lot patrol. The Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds, which draws large crowds during the Big E each September and hosts events year-round, needs the event-scale coverage built into our corporate and patrol services. Merrick and Mittineague, older residential villages along the river, use our residential security guard patrols for neighborhood coverage. And the town’s office and light-industrial parks near the Memorial Avenue corridor depend on our corporate security services for after-hours building checks.
What Local Crime Data Actually Shows
West Springfield recorded a violent crime rate of 4.13 per 1,000 residents in 2024, according to NeighborhoodScout’s analysis of FBI-reported data — above the Massachusetts state average of 3.15 per 1,000. Property crime came in considerably higher, at 31.59 per 1,000 residents, well above the statewide average of 11.12 per 1,000. NeighborhoodScout’s overall crime index ranks West Springfield safer than only 5% of U.S. cities, though the most recent reporting year recorded zero murders in town.
The elevated property crime figure tracks with West Springfield’s role as a regional retail and event destination: the Riverdale Street corridor and the Eastern States Exposition draw large numbers of non-resident visitors and vehicles, which increases exposure to theft and break-ins beyond what a purely residential town of the same size would see. That is the exact reason business owners along Riverdale Street and property managers near the fairgrounds contract with Hub Security and Investigative Group for uniformed patrol rather than relying on general area policing alone.
Coverage by District
| District | Key Local Features | Hub Security Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Riverdale Street / Route 5 | Major retail corridor, shopping plazas, high traffic volume | Retail patrol, loss prevention, lot security |
| Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds | Big E fairgrounds, year-round event venue | Event and crowd-related security coverage |
| Merrick / Mittineague | Older residential villages along the Connecticut and Westfield rivers | Residential patrol, neighborhood coverage |
| Memorial Avenue corridor | Office parks, light-industrial and commercial buildings | Corporate/office building security |
What Hub Security Provides in West Springfield
- Armed and unarmed guard coverage for Riverdale Street retail plazas and shopping centers
- Event-scale security coverage for the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds and surrounding properties
- Residential patrol services for Merrick, Mittineague, and other river-side neighborhoods
- Corporate and office building security along the Memorial Avenue corridor
- Mobile patrol routes covering multiple West Springfield properties on a single overnight schedule
- Background check services and corporate investigations for West Springfield businesses and property managers
Serving West Springfield and the Surrounding Area
West Springfield sits directly across the Connecticut River from Springfield, at the center of the Pioneer Valley’s commercial and event district, and Hub Security and Investigative Group covers the surrounding Western Massachusetts communities under the same local management team.
- Our coverage in Springfield
- Our coverage in Chicopee
- Our coverage in Westfield
- Our coverage in Agawam
Why West Springfield Businesses and Residents Choose Hub
- Massachusetts-licensed for both security guard services and private investigation work
- Fully insured, with officers who are background-checked and trained before assignment
- GPS-tracked patrol routes and unannounced supervisor inspections to verify coverage
- Local management that knows West Springfield’s Riverdale Street corridor, fairgrounds, and residential villages — not a national call center or app-based guard broker
- 24/7 emergency dispatch at (617) 857-1200
How Hub Saves West Springfield Customers Money
Consolidating under one Hub contract also tends to cost less than piecing together separate vendors for guards, patrol, and investigative work: one onboarding process instead of several, no coverage gaps that force you to pay a second vendor’s overtime rate to fill them, and one predictable monthly invoice instead of surprise call-out fees. That matters in West Springfield, where the busy Riverdale Street commercial corridor sits close to residential neighborhoods — Hub can scale one contract up for Big E season each September and bundle commercial coverage with residential checks nearby instead of billing separate vendors for each.
West Springfield’s own history is tied to its river and its fair: the town broke away from Springfield and incorporated on its own on February 23, 1774, after settlers on the western bank of the Connecticut River grew tired of being governed from across the water. Riverdale Street, the commercial spine that grew up to serve those west-bank settlers, has been the town’s busiest corridor ever since, and in 1917 the town added a second draw — the Eastern States Exposition, the fairgrounds that host the “Big E” each September and remain one of the region’s largest seasonal employers. Hub’s licensed guards support both the Riverdale Street corridor and West Springfield’s residential neighborhoods.
Condo, Apartment, and Business Park Security in West Springfield
West Springfield’s condo and apartment communities face a security gap individual homeowners don’t: shared entryways, parking areas, and mailrooms mean a single unlocked door or unmonitored lot puts every unit at risk, not just one. A community such as Park West Condominiums is exactly the kind of property where a condo association or property manager can split the cost of a Hub Security officer across the whole complex rather than each resident arranging separate coverage, covering evening patrols, monitoring shared entrances, and responding to package-theft or trespassing complaints for less per household than residents would pay arranging security in West Springfield, MA individually.
The same logic applies to West Springfield’s office and business properties. Multi-tenant buildings such as Century Park on Park Avenue benefit from a single security contract covering the whole property — consistent after-hours patrol, a documented point of contact for access issues, and one bill instead of several separate vendors. Retail destinations such as Riverdale Shops on Riverdale Street are a similar fit for Hub’s retail security services and mobile patrol, since a visible officer during business hours deters shoplifting and parking-lot incidents.
Hub Security officers are also trained and certified to staff public and private events in West Springfield — from a business park tenant event to a condo association gathering or a community event like the Eastern States Exposition — and hold current Massachusetts Crowd Manager certification through the MA Department of Fire Services, in addition to CPR/First Aid and Narcan (naloxone) certification. That means an officer staffing a crowded West Springfield event isn’t just a visible presence — they’re certified to manage occupancy limits and respond to a medical emergency until first responders arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Springfield, MA a high-crime town? The data is mixed. NeighborhoodScout reports a violent crime rate of 4.13 per 1,000 residents and a property crime rate of 31.59 per 1,000 residents, both above the Massachusetts averages of 3.15 and 11.12 per 1,000 — driven in large part by the town’s high volume of non-resident retail and event traffic along Riverdale Street and at the Eastern States Exposition.
Does Hub Security provide armed guards in West Springfield? Yes. Hub Security and Investigative Group provides both armed and unarmed guards in West Springfield, assigned according to the property type and risk level of the assignment.
Can Hub Security cover an event at the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds? Yes. Hub Security provides event-scale security coverage for properties in and around the Big E fairgrounds, in addition to standing retail and commercial contracts on Riverdale Street.
Is Hub Security licensed for private investigation work in Massachusetts? Yes. Hub Security and Investigative Group holds Massachusetts licensing for both security guard services and private investigation services, including background checks and corporate investigations for West Springfield businesses.
Call Hub Security & Investigative Group at (617) 857-1200 for a free consultation on security guard services in West Springfield, MA, or request a quote online.