Maine Ranks As Third-Safest State (Bangor, Mexico: crime rates, live, price)

[forest beekeeper]

http://www.wmtw.com/news/11328407/detail.html

Maine is ranked as one of the nation's safest states in an annual analysis that came out Thursday.

In a report released Thursday morning, the Kansas research firm Morgan Quitno Press said Maine is the third-safest state. Maine was the second-safest state last year.

Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona were ranked as the most dangerous states. The safest states were North Dakota, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming.

Morgan Quitno bases it rankings on a formula using crime rates in six crime categories.

[Mark S.]

If you'll look at those safest states (all in the north) and the most dangerous (all in the south), you have to conclude it is the weather.

I know that in our 'hood, the only thing that consistently drives the gang-bangers are dealers inside is a cold rain or snow. When the weather warms up, they're out thick as flies.

[forest beekeeper]

Alaska [which is North] ranked 44.

Where are you seeing "Gang-bangers" and 'Dealers"?

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Alaska [which is North] ranked 44.

Coastal Alaska (where most of Alaska's population resides) actually isn't that cold. And keep in mind that Alaska has a VERY low population compared to other states, which is going to skew their crime stats. Then factor in the grizzly bears...

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Where are you seeing "Gang-bangers" and 'Dealers"?

On my street. Federal Way, Washington, just north of Tacoma.

I cannot get out of here fast enough. Might even be headed up your way to Bangor. This summer should tell for sure.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

The plus side of slower economies and colder winters is that thugs look for easier pickings like Las Vegas. The border states are crawling with drug dealers and illegal activities of all sorts. Crime stats follow criminals.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

... On my street. Federal Way, Washington, just north of Tacoma.

I cannot get out of here fast enough. Might even be headed up your way to Bangor. This summer should tell for sure.

I lived in Bremerton for a few years, so yes I know about that area. My Shrine Temple is in Tacoma, 'Affifi Shrine'.

I had meant rather, I see no gang-bangers and very few dealers in Maine.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Dwatted Wabbit

The plus side of slower economies and colder winters is that thugs look for easier pickings like Las Vegas. The border states are crawling with drug dealers and illegal activities of all sorts. Crime stats follow criminals.

I find this a self-contradictory statement.

You say that "slower economies" and "colder winters" cause lower crime, and that "border states" cause higher crime.

So in the context of a forum discussing Maine; which has a slow economy, and colder winters and is a border state.

So are you saying that our crime is low because it is a border state?

Unlike Las Vegas?

[tkx7]

Another factor could be the demographics of the people. There is much more racial tension in the dangerous states. 43.1% New Mexico, 60% Nevada, 60.4% Arizona for percentage of whites and in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, North Dakota and Wyoming they are above 90% white. There is probably more racial tension in the other states and thus more violence. There are other factors as well though.

[Elcarim]

I'm guessing that WHAT you're bordering has great impact here. I've never heard much about illegal immigration of Canadians into the states or Canadian drug runs on Maine.

In Houston, as a white family, we feel like the minority, and probably are, though I don't know the true statistics for the whole city. In our small town of 9000 or so which borders Houston on the north, we are approx 48% black/hispanic and 52% white. It was a very odd thing to visit Maine for 10 days and count the number of black or Hispanic people we saw on one hand. The lack of color was so noticeable to us that we made verbal note every time.

Being raised in this area, we are cerainly not bigoted toward our neighbors, but it is an unfortunate fact that the overwhelming majority of people in our Texas prisons are NOT caucasian. So, the fact that predominantly white states are at the top of the "safest" list is no surprise to us at all. I just think it's sad that ethnic diversity, which SHOULD be a wonderful thing, comes at such a high price.

[Elcarim]

PS. Texas came in at #12 - not a comforting thought!