high violent crime rates in fort myers?!! that's totally bogus!!! (Cape Coral: living in, stats)

[movetoflorida]

Originally Posted by kroeran

is there much in the way of punk-on-geezer action, or is it more a problem for those that mix with them in the public schools, neighbourhoods and clubs and bars?

My heart goes out to those stuck in that situation, but it is a free country, and they choose to live there. This subject is way outside my personal experience, but for those stuck in that situation, in particular the kids and young girls, my thinking is that I would take social refuge in the local church scene and take up martial arts and get real scary good at it until you can figure out how to get out of the bad hoods, assuming you are not permitted to arm yourself legally. I probably don't know what I am talking about here.

For your typical geezbird (such as myself) is this more an issue of whats on the evening news, or should I have a 12 gauge in my golf bag in case I am ambushed while putting or should I be carrying in case someone jumps me from behind the wine rack at Fresh Market?

More generally, please inform me how retired folks and snowbirds encounter crime in FM?

Thats funny. Yeah, I don't think I am going to be carring my 12 gauge around like a cowboy down there but it will be under the bed in case some maniac comes past all the other security measures. On a serious note, there are a lot of people out there and there could easily be some crazed "Charles Manson family" in any town. Of course I am all paranoid after watching the documentary about him on tv last night. Not as bad as my wife though, she kept waking me up to every little noise freaked out last night!

[hiknapster]

Interesting.

On another thread you went as far as to ask me how to travel to downtown at night. You've asked numerous times over the past couple of months if your condo is in a safe area. You seem so paranoid about.

I don't know how many times I've reassured you.

Now it is a big joke?

Originally Posted by kroeran

is there much in the way of punk-on-geezer action, or is it more a problem for those that mix with them in the public schools, neighbourhoods and clubs and bars?

My heart goes out to those stuck in that situation, but it is a free country, and they choose to live there. This subject is way outside my personal experience, but for those stuck in that situation, in particular the kids and young girls, my thinking is that I would take social refuge in the local church scene and take up martial arts and get real scary good at it until you can figure out how to get out of the bad hoods, assuming you are not permitted to arm yourself legally. I probably don't know what I am talking about here.

For your typical geezbird (such as myself) is this more an issue of whats on the evening news, or should I have a 12 gauge in my golf bag in case I am ambushed while putting or should I be carrying in case someone jumps me from behind the wine rack at Fresh Market?

More generally, please inform me how retired folks and snowbirds encounter crime in FM?

[Ruby24]

Originally Posted by movetoflorida

Thats funny. Yeah, I don't think I am going to be carring my 12 gauge around like a cowboy down there but it will be under the bed in case some maniac comes past all the other security measures. On a serious note, there are a lot of people out there and there could easily be some crazed "Charles Manson family" in any town. Of course I am all paranoid after watching the documentary about him on tv last night. Not as bad as my wife though, she kept waking me up to every little noise freaked out last night!

LOL! I can't watch anything about the Manson family. It creeps me out too much.
You do start to get overly paranoid from watching the news and stuff, especially as you get older. My mother moved to a beautiful section of Holiday Fl and wouldn't put the garbage out at night without having a loaded gun. I was terrified she was gonna shoot herself or her poor husband.
You can't help hearing stuff, but I do try and know about where I am, but avoid the news as much as possible. It can make you crazy with fear.

[tjstrain]

One thing I noticed about our news in Ft Myers. Since there is not a lot of news to report, whatever they do get, gets played over and over for many days. So if there's a shooting, all of the news channels report on it for about three days unless there is something else that happens. So it's looking like we might have lots going on but compared to other cities, Ft Myers is one boring town. Up here in Philadelphia, where i'm visiting again, there are nightly shooting all over the city. Those do not get replayed 2 nights in a row since each night brings more shooting and other news worthy events.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by tjstrain

One thing I noticed about our news in Ft Myers. Since there is not a lot of news to report, whatever they do get, gets played over and over for many days. So if there's a shooting, all of the news channels report on it for about three days unless there is something else that happens. So it's looking like we might have lots going on but compared to other cities, Ft Myers is one boring town. Up here in Philadelphia, where i'm visiting again, there are nightly shooting all over the city. Those do not get replayed 2 nights in a row since each night brings more shooting and other news worthy events.

I have a news flash for YOU. Philly's crime rate: 682. Fort Myers: 705.

[Huckleberry3911948]

despite the many posts, the OP denies the validity of the obvious.
this is very common on CDF. posters will get on and assert their urban area is super safe
and that their neighborhood is the victim of discrimination by the media.
signed
a former chicago resident and a native.

[movetoflorida]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I have a news flash for YOU. Philly's crime rate: 682. Fort Myers: 705.

A more accurate comparison related to shootings would be the murder rate. As it turns out, Ft Myers and Philly are close at over 3 times the national average. One would see a lot more murders on the Philly news however because of its population at around 1.5 million giving it a murder rate of close to 1 per day as apposed to a population of around 50,000 for Ft Meyers giving it an average around 1 murder per month. Of course this does not account for the Ft Myers news reporting on crime in the nearby combined SWF metropolitan area. Even the combined area is still only around 1/2 a million.

[yachtcare]

Originally Posted by Ruby24

You do start to get overly paranoid from watching the news and stuff, especially as you get older. My mother moved to a beautiful section of Holiday Fl and wouldn't put the garbage out at night without having a loaded gun.

Not necessarily a bad thing. As one gets older, they do tend to become a target for the "evildoers".

Bad apples turn up everywhere, and it only takes one encounter, that you arent properly prepared to deal with to be a game ender.

Carrying some protection gets to be a habit, just like carrying your cell phone, or your wallet. If you are licensed to carry it, why not? When I am at my shop after nightfall, and I want to take the trash out to the dumpster out back, it's in my pocket. Of course I have no windows in the back of the shop, and quite often I open the door to find a strange vehicle with several smoky looking characters in it.

Just a question for those of you reading along.....when was the last time you really took stock of your own "security"? How do you leave, or return home each day? Any areas where someone could be unseen near your front door when you walk out? How much do you pay attention? Are you really prepared?

Should you be paranoid?, no, should you have an awareness of your surroundings, keeping in mind something can happen anywhere?, yes.

[SWFL_Native]

Not sure how the crime index is calc'd but I would suggest there may be a bias. Most people consider the overarching area in Lee County outside of CC to be "Fort Myers". More than 60% of the population resides in Lee County Unincorporated. I would imagine the statistical regression they are using is skewed to only include the population of City of FTM proper and the crimes reported in it.

I would also suggest the majority of crime on this index occurs withing a 5 sq mile area which wouldn't be a good representation of the overall area. What I'm getting at is avoid Palm Beach to MLK from Seabord to I-75 and the subsequent sidestreets. Also avoid certain areas in "Scum Coast" and Lehigh as well and you'll be fine.

[hiknapster]

As well as Pine Manor, otherwise known as Crime Manor, and some neighborhoods directly across 41. Also, Harlem Heights.