Is Atlanta's crime overrated? (East Point, Forest Park: 2013, apartments, homes)

[joey86]

Originally Posted by bu2

There was the rash of attacks on the beltline in daytime.

This isn't accurate. Not trying to derail but only one person was attacked on the Beltline during day. The other reports were not on the Beltline and after dark.
One person was robbed when they met someone from Craigslist in the parking lot of the skatepark at midnight to buy an iPhone with cash. Another case that local media claimed occurred on the Beltline was simply near it in Midtown.

[taurus2000]

I think the reason why it does get so much media play is because it IS so seemingly random and widespread. If all the crime were happening in the "inner-city" (to use Paul Ryan lingo) it wouldn't be on the news. But because it's happening randomly in "the good areas" and the suburbs...THEN it's a problem...THEN it gets attention. I haven't personally been a victim of crime...YET.

[testa50]

Midtown sure feels a hell of a lot safer than it did 4-5 years ago. But Atlanta, as a whole, is on the "more dangerous" side of the spectrum nationally. Not the worst by any means, but nowhere near as safe as places like Seattle, Boston, Portland, and so on.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by erick295

Atlanta had a very bad crime problem in the 80s and 90s. That reputation has probably stuck a bit more than it should have and caused people to avoid areas that have become safe.

I agree with this. I think because I came here toward the end of the 1990s and saw how bad the crime was back then, that I feel in comparison, it is overrated today. That is not to say that it does not exist anymore, but on the whole, crime is WAY less than it used to be here but one wouldn't know it from watching the news. Even though I will say, I used to call Channel 2 the "murder news" lol as they always lead with the most horrific crimes it seems. They used to lead with 5-8 murders every day (most of the time they would talk about the same people though, not different people) and today it does seem like there are only maybe 3-4 they talk about every day. They are the reason I stopped watching local news regularly.

Originally Posted by bu2

Well in the last couple of years we've had the car broken into two times while parked, once for only 5 minutes. In midtown and Virginia Highlands. 4 houses I can see from my front door have been broken into in the last two months and at least a dozen in our neighborhood. At least 4 women have been attacked within a half mile from my house in the last 3 months. And I live in a pretty "good" area ITP. And of course there were the half dozen shootings in East Atlanta in a few months last year of people walking around late at night and the numerous robberies of Georgia Tech students walking around late at night. There was the rash of attacks on the beltline in daytime. There were the multiple robberies in downtown Decatur after a HS football game this fall.

Its not overrated and its not really easy to avoid. But you clearly shouldn't go walking around alone at 2 am.

In regards to this and car break-ins I find it interesting that I actually do live in a high crime area but I have never had my car broken into in my neighborhood. Once I even accidently left the keys in the ignition (I am absent minded at times and do this at least 2-3 times a year and did it a few weeks ago in VA HI to so I am happy no one took my vehicle) in front of my house and one of the characters who walks up and down the street knocked on the door and told me I left my keys in the car lol. I gave them $10 for being so nice, they were appreciative.

I only know one person in my neighborhood who has had their home broken into. The guys who did it were known to be serial breaker-into-ers in our area and were caught and now are doing 10 years in prison due to the amount of thefts they did all over the city. They were caught in our area but didn't live over here. I do know one person who was attacked/mugged walking on the path trail in the Washington Park neighborhood, but no one else who are my regular friends/associates and no one who lives in my neighborhood.

People are always shocked we aren't shot to death or broken into all the time due to the neighborhood we live in (English Avenue). It seems most break-ins over her occur on vacant properties and not inhabited properties and I also think that maybe some of the criminals know that those of us who live over here are more than likely armed compared to areas of the city that they see as more liberal/yuppie and I will come out and say it - white. Most of the crime in my area involves the drug trade or people opening up illegal clubs, which is hilarious to me as some of them even advertise the clubs online and have "drink specials" lol. People sometimes get in fights during their time at or leaving the clubs and that drives up our crime rates. Also we have asked the police to be very aggressive in regards to drug crimes and that drives up the arrests here as well. But on the whole we are much less violent than in the past and property crime for inhabited homes is not something that occurs on a regular basis around here.

[emcee squared]

There is crime. It appears to be less so than in decades past, but there are still some very rough areas in the city.

[taurus2000]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

I agree with this. I think because I came here toward the end of the 1990s and saw how bad the crime was back then, that I feel in comparison, it is overrated today. That is not to say that it does not exist anymore, but on the whole, crime is WAY less than it used to be here but one wouldn't know it from watching the news. Even though I will say, I used to call Channel 2 the "murder news" lol as they always lead with the most horrific crimes it seems. They used to lead with 5-8 murders every day (most of the time they would talk about the same people though, not different people) and today it does seem like there are only maybe 3-4 they talk about every day. They are the reason I stopped watching local news regularly.

You know what they say in the news industry..."If it bleeds, it leads..."

[ATLfromJAX]

Originally Posted by testa50

Midtown sure feels a hell of a lot safer than it did 4-5 years ago. But Atlanta, as a whole, is on the "more dangerous" side of the spectrum nationally. Not the worst by any means, but nowhere near as safe as places like Seattle, Boston, Portland, and so on.

Yes, I do think crime is over-rated in Atlanta. If crime was as bad as "some" people's views, ATL would not be growing or attracting large corporations over past 10-15 years.

And I'm kind of calling BS on the quote cities like Seattle and Boston are "safer". I've sat in a Denny's near Seattle airport with some hardcore gang bangers. South Seattle/Tacoma has some real "rough" areas. Same with Boston, like Roxbury. I can't speak to Portland.

If you're in the nicer areas of Atlanta, crime is low (like North Atl, Sandy Springs) and is bad in rough areas (Bankhead, Vine City, etc.).

And if you're in the nicer areas of Seattle, crime is low. If the rougher areas of Seattle, watch out for the gangs.

When I worked in San Francisco, I had my car broken into in front of a building that I didn't know what a public housing project. So it just depends on what part of town you live and are at.

Like in San Francisco, at lot of the higher crime/rougher areas are in nearby cities and are easy to avoid/ignore...

[bu2]

Originally Posted by joey86

This isn't accurate. Not trying to derail but only one person was attacked on the Beltline during day. The other reports were not on the Beltline and after dark.
One person was robbed when they met someone from Craigslist in the parking lot of the skatepark at midnight to buy an iPhone with cash. Another case that local media claimed occurred on the Beltline was simply near it in Midtown.

The reports I heard were that several people were robbed of their phones while walking on the beltline. That's why Reed started the police patrol there. He didn't want the Beltline killed by crime before it got rolling.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by testa50

Midtown sure feels a hell of a lot safer than it did 4-5 years ago. But Atlanta, as a whole, is on the "more dangerous" side of the spectrum nationally. Not the worst by any means, but nowhere near as safe as places like Seattle, Boston, Portland, and so on.

Those places are not very racially diverse.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by emcee squared

There is crime. It appears to be less so than in decades past, but there are still some very rough areas in the city.

Murders are down significantly. Atlanta was the murder capital of the country 30 years ago. But violent crime is down pretty much everywhere in the US compared to 30 years ago.