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Hi, I was just reading this book that ranked places in the terms of there safety from crime. It wasn't from Morgan Quitno, it was another source. It averaged all the states violent and property crimes from the last 5 years, 2002-2006, and came up with it that way. Property crimes were given only 1/10th the weight as violent. Here's the full list - ranked from most crime ridden to safest.
1. District Of Columbia
2. South Carolina
3. Tennessee
4. Florida
5. New Mexico
6. Maryland
7. Louisiana
8. Nevada
9. Arizona
10. Alaska
11. Texas
12. Delaware
13. Missouri
14. Oklahoma
15. California
16. Illinois
17. North Carolina
18. Arkansas
19. Georgia
20. Michigan
21. Alabama
22. Washington
23. Kansas
24. Hawaii
25. Colorado
26. Oregon
27. Ohio
28. Massachusetts
29. Indiana
30. New York
31. Pennsylvania
32. Mississippi
33. Nebraska
34. Utah
35. Montana
36. New Jersey
37. Minnesota
38. Iowa
39. Wyoming
40. Connecticut
41. Rhode Island
42. Virginia
43. Idaho
44. Wisconsin
45. Kentucky
46. West Virginia
47. Puerto Rico
48. South Dakota
49. Maine
50. Vermont
51. New Hampshire
52. North Dakota
If you notice all the dangerous ones are fast growing sunbelt states.
Some of that list seems skewed...out of order. Interesting, though, how things really are as opposed to how we assume they would be. Tennessee...#3...who knew?!
Obviously DC is going to be first because of it being a city and all, but with MD being so high up, that is basically DC crime jumping into bordering PG county, and Baltimore City crime, everywhere else the crime is negligible.
Makes sense. Transient populations, people who are more restless and rootless moving to the new, fast-growing places, while those who are more stable remain close to their family and roots in the Northeast and Midwest. There will be lots of individual exceptions, but generalizations give an accurate view of the large picture. People move all over for many reasons, but, in general, there likely is a higher incidence of rootlessness among those who move away in search of life in a sunny playground.
As for the exceptions: histmaj may be onto something about the effect of crime in the D.C. metro area. And don't forget about Baltimore. Alaska? Another state that may attract too many unstable sorts. I'm sure many people move there for good reasons. Some are strong, hardy individualists. Still, Alaska probably attracts its share of those who want to move to the big open land, to escape mainstream society, because they're really incapable of living in any kind of society.
These are my observations. Of course it may not be politically correct but here goes.
New England is mostly white and wealthy. Also it's the less transient part of the country. The South, although mostly white, has the highest % of African Americans. BUT it's not that simple. My home state of New York is ranked #30. Mississippi is over 30% African American and is ranked slightly better at #32. Virginia's population includes alot of African Americans and it is a Sun Belt state, but ranks as one the safest states at #42.
Why aren't Kentucky and West Virginia, generally viewed as poor southern states, in the top spots?
Why is Maryland, generally viewed as a wealthy northeastern state, #6? (But when crime is concerned, it usually is grouped with the southern states.) Why is Washington, DC so dangerous?
Why are Missouri and Illinois, two non-Sun Belt states, ranked more dangerous than Alabama, Arkansas, or Georgia, states that are considered Sun Belt?
If the cold deters crime, why is Alaska in a top spot?
It's really not as simple as it looks. There are many factors involved here. Also I wonder about the accuracy of this report.
These are my observations---Alaska and New Mexico have a few things in common--reservations,poverty,alcohol abuse,drugs,guns,and lots of rural land, I think all of this contributes in some way.
In New Mexico most people grow up here and never leave the state and are set in their own ways,many gangs date back years and years and kids grow up into this.Many still have that wild wild west mentality.NM is also easy access for drug smugglers coming from Mexico.I think its all in the way people were raised here,NM is often ranked poorly in many categories,
one time it was the worst state to raise a child,
top 3 in poverty
San Juan County has the 2nd highest DWI fatality rate in the country,it is not un-common for people to have 10 or more DWI's here.
Espanola,NM is known as the drug overdose capitol
I think its all in the culture and the way people are brought up, we only have 1 descent sized city in the whole state,anyways thats just my take on it.
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