Crime Rates in the Metroplex! (Dallas, Plano: crime rate, hotel, houses)

[GordonGecko]

We finally moved (partially) to Dallas....currently living in a hotel...

We started looking at houses this last week and after looking at the Crime rates for different areas I had a few questions.....

Any ideas why the crime rate in Colleyville and Southlake are a LOT LOWER than most other areas in the Metroplex? It is a huge difference on a crime/100,000 unit....

We looked at houses in Far North Dallas, Farmer's Branch, Addison, Carrollton, West Plano, Coppell, Southlake and Colleyville.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by GordonGecko

We finally moved (partially) to Dallas....currently living in a hotel...

We started looking at houses this last week and after looking at the Crime rates for different areas I had a few questions.....

Any ideas why the crime rate in Colleyville and Southlake are a LOT LOWER than most other areas in the Metroplex? It is a huge difference on a crime/100,000 unit....

We looked at houses in Far North Dallas, Farmer's Branch, Addison, Carrollton, West Plano, Coppell, Southlake and Colleyville.

Because Colleyville and Southlake are both remote and prosperous.

[GordonGecko]

Can't speak for this area....but having lived in an area that was VERY remote and extremely prosperous before, I can tell you that it did not help....Crime rate there was still high!

Originally Posted by nativeDallasite

Because Colleyville and Southlake are both remote and prosperous.

[ChristieP]

These areas aren't so remote that theives could break into a house and not be seen form the road. They are also home to a lot of people, either self-employed or stay-at-home-moms, who are home during the day, so there aren't a lot of times when homes are unoccupied. Both towns also have good police departments.

[momof2dfw]

You also have to consider how many of the crimes that are commited were done by juvies and not reoprted and let off because dad/mom are so-n-so. Sad but true. Don't know if you caught the news last night but a couple of juvie's in Southlake are in trouble for literally destroying peoples Christmas decorations. They videotaped it and posted it on youtube. Some police officer in another state saw it and called the Southlake PD. So far the parents have been notified but have not turned in their kids. Sad, very sad.

[GordonGecko]

Christie, I see you live in Grapevine...How is their crime rates vs Colleyvillle?

Originally Posted by ChristieP

These areas aren't so remote that theives could break into a house and not be seen form the road. They are also home to a lot of people, either self-employed or stay-at-home-moms, who are home during the day, so there aren't a lot of times when homes are unoccupied. Both towns also have good police departments.

[aceplace]

Crime rates are not useful, because comparing reports between one police department and another is like comparing apples and oranges. Or that's what the FBI says.

Another problem with a crime rate for Colleyville is that nobody knows how many people live in Colleyville this week, so you can't calculate the number of crimes per person. The last census was 8 years ago.

Finally, you can't assume that every neighborhood in Colleyville has the same amount of crime. A rate is an average that obscures information about where the safe and dangerous areas are.

[hamiltonpl]

Crime rates are interesting for statistic nerds, but in reality, they don't really let you know how dangerous or safe your future neighborhood will be. Regrettably, crime does happen everywhere.

Taking Dallas as a whole, it has a high crime rate. But geographically, the crime is concentrated in the southern sector of the city. Judging any municipality on this statistic will give you a skewed view of a particular neighborhood in the city. Big cities are just conglomerations of small towns. Check out the neighborhood crime stats in comparison to other neighborhoods.

If you live in one of the nicer areas in Dallas, crime won't be an issue.

[GordonGecko]

Originally Posted by aceplace

Another problem with a crime rate for Colleyville is that nobody knows how many people live in Colleyville this week, so you can't calculate the number of crimes per person. The last census was 8 years ago.

In case you did not know, most crime stats are calculated on a crime/100,000 people to avoid exactly what you just said.

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by GordonGecko

In case you did not know, most crime stats are calculated on a crime/100,000 people to avoid exactly what you just said.

His beef is with that 100,000 person number.

He's saying that the number of people living in Colleyville at this precise moment in time is unknown. At most, it is just an estimate.

People move out, people go to work in another municipality, people go there for lunch, people stay in motels. Nobody knows the exact number of people in any municipality at any one second in time.