Crime/Drugs in Cookeville area? (Sparta, Smithville: cul-de-sac, high crime, houses)

[dogluver]

We are thinking of moving to the Cookeville/Sparta area however, in the past have seen several articles about meth busts. This seems to be a problem a lot, particularly in the south from what I'm finding having recently moved to VA. Can someone fill me in on how the crime/drug rate is in this area?
Thank you.

[2mares]

Compared to Chicago Id say negligible.

[dogluver]

Originally Posted by 2mares

Compared to Chicago Id say negligible.

Thanks, I appreciate your reply. However, being from Chicago, I think it's hard to compare it to Cookeville.

[2mares]

Originally Posted by dogluver

Thanks, I appreciate your reply. However, being from Chicago, I think it's hard to compare it to Cookeville.

I saw that you were from Chicago. I find it odd that people from places that I would consider high crime are concerned about high crime in places like Cookeville and Sparta. Granted we have a problem with meth and prescription drug use, but really where is there a city that does not have any drug use. IMO the drug problems here affect mostly the users and sadly their families. You do not see near the level of violence and other related criminal activity upon innocent citizens as seem common in large cities. I don’t think drugs and crime are a problem in the local schools either.

I read and hear about (my brother is a cop) drug bust often, mostly perscription drugs, but if not for the media and my brother I wouldnt know it existed.

[dogluver]

Originally Posted by 2mares

I saw that you were from Chicago. I find it odd that people from places that I would consider high crime are concerned about high crime in places like Cookeville and Sparta. Granted we have a problem with meth and prescription drug use, but really where is there a city that does not have any drug use. IMO the drug problems here affect mostly the users and sadly their families. You do not see near the level of violence and other related criminal activity upon innocent citizens as seem common in large cities. I don’t think drugs and crime are a problem in the local schools either.

I read and hear about (my brother is a cop) drug bust often, mostly perscription drugs, but if not for the media and my brother I wouldnt know it existed.

Thanks for your response. It is very helpful. What I meant to say is you can't compare a city like Chicago whose population is estimated to 2,851,268 people to Cookeville. That being said, I never lived in the CITY of Chicago, but rather the suburbs, for that reason - crime and drugs. I've just noticed living in the south now, meth seems to be a big problem, at least recently.

[2mares]

Yes meth is a problem here. Meth here because it is cheap and easy to manufacture. Im sure the Northern states have their own drug of choice. I was looking at some stats on drug abuse: Virginia ranks 30, Illinois 34 and TN 45. Of course thats just one I noticed and I have no idea the sample size or how they determined the ranking. Just interesting the states dont fall out like I would have thought except Alaska which was #1 in drug use.

One thing I have noticed with recent local drug bust is that it is generally the same group of people involved.

[welltravelled]

I have lived in multiple states and travelled alot and I would have to say meth is a problem in many, many places including the Chicago area.

You need to keep in mind about how the reporting is done. Some towns report more than others. For example. I lived in South Texas for many years in a town of a little over 8,000 people and if you asked people if there was any drug or crime issues most would tell you "no". Why you may ask? Because they are in denial and can't admit their little town has problems or many are using themselves. However...there was LOTS of drug problems and violence but the paper which was controlled by the police and sheriff department covered up lots of it. Reason why? Lot of "winter texans" vacationed in this town and helped out the economy so they did not want them to know about it.

When I lived there which was under 2 years ago the drug of choice for the wealthy, judges, dentists, school teachers, etc. was cocaine. For junior high and high school it was weed, pills, bars and x. For the poorer group of people it was meth.

I recently talked to a friend of mine that still lives there and now the drug of choice for the junior high and high school kids is now heroin.

It is so bad there that a friend of my wifes that she had know her entire life was selling drugs to the high school and junior high kids and allowing them to use at her house and guess what? She was selling to our oldest son and he was using at her house along with the ENTIRE high school basket ball team. We took care of that problem though.

Now I have lived here in Cookeville for under two years and know quite a few people. Are there drugs here? You bet there are. Is is bad.? I don't think so at all. I find the "meth problem" here quite mild compared to other places I have lived. People here might think it is bad because they have nothing to compare it to but once again, I think it is quite mild.

So here it is in a nutshell. Is this town perfect? Nope. Is this town a nice, safe place to live and raise a family. Oh yea!

[loonyrich]

Previous poster was right. No place is crime free and of course everything is relative to your point of view.
We have lived here 2 yrs and compared to where we moved from we think it is low in crime.
But what the meth habit or oxycodone habit does it create a need for cash to buy it daily soooo that breeds theft.
We just take normal precautions. Keep doors locked at night and don't leave anything in the car or truck that you want to be there when you come back.
We love Cookeville.

[duvallwest]

I think that more goes on in Cookeville and Putnam County more than we know....but Meth is not reported to be as bad as the smaller areas around us. I have lived in Cookeville for many years at a time..this time being about 10 years. But I worked in Dekalb County which is Smithville which is around 30 miles away...and they are busting meth like crazy! I worked until recently for child services and investigated child abuse in that county and over 90 percent of our referrals was drug use and a lot for meth. But if you read the herald Citizen here in Cookeville I see more break ins and theft than meth. I have heard of some meth recently..like the meth in the mailbox that was on the news...and drug use is here...but I as a citizen of Cookeville am way more concerned with the break ins. This last year my car was broken into twice ay my residence..well attempted as they did not get in..parked right up to my front door. I also have had my back door attempted to be broken into and a police officer is my neighbor! My front door was also worked on and you could see marks from a crobar. All of this in the last year and I live on seventy..not a bad neighborhood. My neighbor across the street had someone break into his house a few months ago at 9 pm at night when he was home....he pulled a gun and they ran off. The two houses in my cul-de-sac also had both their backdoors knocked in but the intruder ran off. I also read in the paper a few days ago where a man on cc camp road had a masked man with an ax cutting into his door..and there are way more stories where that came from. I think Cookeville's danger is people breaking in to theive..perhaps to support a drug habit or perhaps to feed their children in this failing economy.

With that said I stilll feel just as safe here in COokeville than I did in my hometown of Fentress which is a tiny small town. And I have lived in Nashville and Tucson Arizona which I feel safer in Cookeville than there as well. Im not so concerned about being murdered in Cookeville...but I am concerned with being at home while someone comes in to try to steal my belongings. Which is why I have good locks and an alarm system!

SO over all cookeville is great...and I dont think your children would be exposed to too many drugs here...you dont have to worry about the gangs in COokeville..There may be some wannabe gangs here in Cookeville but all they are is bullies!

So if you come to Cookeville my advice is just dont leave your doors unlocked and get some good locks to try to keep your belongings safe!!!

[as3369]

I think that more goes on in Cookeville and Putnam County more than we know....but Meth is not reported to be as bad as the smaller areas around us. I have lived in Cookeville for many years at a time..this time being about 10 years. I see more break ins and theft than meth. I have heard of some meth recently..like the meth in the mailbox that was on the news...and drug use is here...but I as a citizen of Cookeville am way more concerned with the break ins. This last year my car was broken into twice ay my residence..well attempted as they did not get in..parked right up to my front door. I also have had my back door attempted to be broken into and a police officer is my neighbor! My front door was also worked on and you could see marks from a crobar. All of this in the last year and I live on seventy..not a bad neighborhood. My neighbor across the street had someone break into his house a few months ago at 9 pm at night when he was home....he pulled a gun and they ran off. The two houses in my cul-de-sac also had both their backdoors knocked in but the intruder ran off. I feel safer in Cookeville than there as well. Im not so concerned about being murdered in Cookeville...but I am concerned with being at home while someone comes in to try to steal my belongings. Which is why I have good locks and an alarm system!

The break-in attempts in your neighborhood seem abnormal. With the number of break-ins or attempts in your cul-de-sac, there must be something there that attracts the criminal or the offender is somebody in the neighborhood. It sounds like you should start a neighborhood crime watch and look out for each other. The police/sheriff cannot do it all themselves. They need the help of the community.