Dallas crime.... Is it really that bad?? (Houston, Howe: safe area, allergies)

[aceplace]

Somebody explained the limited value of averages in this way...

If I told you the average telephone number in Dallas was 521-444-6328.5557689, what does that really mean?

As far as comparing crime numbers from one city to those in another city.... it's like comparing centigrade to fahrenheit without knowing how to convert one to another.

[dalgal512]

I am a 32 year old mom of 3 who has lived 15 minutes from downtown pretty much my entire life. I go "into" Dallas quite often! If people live in the area & never go into Dallas, they are missing a hell of a lot of art, education and pure entertainment! My husband & I take our children to events in Dallas at least a few times a month. We even take the DART (train) to events at the American Airlines Center on occassion. (*gasp*) lol

No, it is not THAT bad.

[BstYet2Be]

I thought it'd be interesting to see how the numbers fell when based on the cities size... look how it completely switches the "stats" around when based on square miles:

From the city-data.com 2006 Crime Index Comparison Per 100,000 (U.S. Avg=323.2)

City............#Crimes...#Square...#Crimes Per
..............100,000(1)..Miles(2)..Sq. Mile(3)
Allen.............148.1......26.3........5.6
Arlington.........469.5......95.8........4.9
Bedford...........291.1......10.0.......29.1
Coppell...........120.6..... 14.9........8.1
Dallas............726.6.....342.5........2.1
Denton............245.8......61.5........4.0
Desoto............232.0......21.6.......10.7
Euless............200.2......16.3.......12.3
Flower Mound.......81.3......40.9........2.0
Frisco............223.6......69.9........3.2
Ft. Worth.........480.3.....292.5........1.6
Garland...........257.8......57.1........4.5
Grand Prairie.........*.........*..........*
Grapevine.........203.1......32.3........6.3
Hurst.............413.4.......9.9.......41.8
Irving............359.7......67.2........5.4
Lewisville........245.5......36.8........6.7
McKinney..........201.4......58.0........3.5
Murphy................*.......5.3..........*
Plano.............235.7......71.6........3.3
Richardson........221.9......28.6........7.8
Rockwall..........189.2......22.3........8.5
Sherman...........310.2......38.6........8.0
Southlake.........117.9......21.9........5.4
The Colony........110.1......13.7........8.0
Trophy Club....... 59.1.......4.1.......14.4
University Park...115.5.......3.7.......31.2
Wylie.............167.9......19.4........8.7

Austin............434.4.....251.5........1.7
Dallas............726.6.....342.5........2.1
Houston...........659.2.....579.4........1.1
San Antonio.......479.7.....407.6........1.2

* Not Listed
(1) From the city-data.com 2006 Crime Index Comparison Per 100,000
(2) From the city-data.com 2006 City Land Area Square Miles
(3) Calculated # of Crimes Per Square Mile (1) Divided by (2)


Just goes to show how data and stats can be "shown" to prove and disprove most any argument.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

HUH???? I go into downtown Dallas all the time. If it were not a school nite and I wasn't so dadgum tired I'd be down there NOW at the Stars game. I'll be there Saturday though

There is nothing to worry about in going "into Dallas" when it comes to crime. Like ANY OTHER place don't be stupid.

Okay, going there is fine, but I wouldn't live there.

[sogod]

Originally Posted by aceplace

As far as comparing crime numbers from one city to those in another city.... it's like comparing centigrade to fahrenheit without knowing how to convert one to another.

I'd say its more like comparing temperatures when you don't really know how accurate your thermometers are.

[Moving South?]

Let's see, Dallas or Detroit?? Where to go? Oh where to go?? I've travelled around this country a considerable amount and if I ever see Detroit again, it'll be too soon. Meanwhile, I'm moving to Dallas in May. The two don't even compare.

[lh_newbie]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

Okay, going there is fine, but I wouldn't live there.

Let's put it this way:

- I lived in Plano for 2 years. I lived in Allen for 4 years. I've now lived in Dallas proper (North-East Dallas) for 2 years now.
- I never had any crime committed in any location toward me.
- I'm unaware of any crime in the vicinity of any of my residences in either of the three cities.
- Dallas is the only place I had mature trees.
- Allen/Plano has closer proximity to more chain restaurants.
- Dallas has closer proximity to more locally owned, unique restaurants.
- Allen/Plano has closer proximity to more big box retailers.
- Dallas has closer proximity to more local, funky shops (and plenty of Big Box)

If someone doesn't want to live in Dallas and claims crime issues, it's purely an uneducated regurgitation of some irrelevant fact - it's certainly not based on a person actually looking at Dallas. People use whatever data they have to justify their decisions. It's silly. Why does someone need to justify such things?

People ask me why I live in Dallas. I simply say it's closer to the things I enjoy (local shops, restaurants, mature trees and White Rock Lake). If you like these things, you'd live here too. If you enjoy big box retail, new subdivisions and malls, you'd make a different choice. Different strokes for different folks. To say Dallas has crime issues is certainly not looking at neighborhoods - it's looking at irrelevant generalized statistics.

Look at New York 10 years back. Would you have lived in the Bronx (aka a NEIGHBORHOOD)? Not if you were worried about crime. But you would have lived in the other areas. They're under the same general umbrella as NYC - but different neighborhoods have different characteristics. Generalizing a city the size of Dallas is definitely a sign of irrational though.

Brian

[lh_newbie]

Originally Posted by Moving South?

Let's see, Dallas or Detroit?? Where to go? Oh where to go?? I've travelled around this country a considerable amount and if I ever see Detroit again, it'll be too soon. Meanwhile, I'm moving to Dallas in May. The two don't even compare.

Detroit has had too many years of neglect and negative domestic migration. Too many eggs in the automotive basket. It had it's boom years and it's going to continue to struggle until it can get good leadership and diversification in it's economy. We won't see that in the next 10 years, there haven't been any good foundation blocks laid in quite some time - until that starts, Detroit is stuck in reverse.

Brian

[SouthDallas40]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

Okay, going there is fine, but I wouldn't live there.

Believe me, no one is asking you to.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by SouthDallas40

Believe me, no one is asking you to.

I certainly don't believe I implied such a thing.