Crime in Minneapolis?

[wushuliu]

Originally Posted by xGrendelx

So my fiance and I are preparing for a move sometime within the next year/two years, and have narrowed our search to about 5 or 6 "top choices," and Minneapolis is among them. My question for locals is what's the deal with the area's crime rate? The reputation of Minneapolis from an outsider's perspective is a place that's really low-key, nice people, and great neighborhoods. It's because of this I was surprised to see the city's crime rate (as reported by City-Data) as high as it was - granted its not sky high, just higher than I expected.

Additionally, we have a pretty good handle on the neighborhoods we think we'd try to land in if Minneapolis does become our next home. I'm having a harder time finding the one's we'd try to avoid. Both of us have spent time in so-called "rough" neighborhoods in the cities we've lived in, and we'd like to get out of that sort of environment when we do finally move.

Also, keep in mind that we are used to big cities, and understand that every place has good and bad spots, and no neighborhood is either perfect or imperfect. We also have street smarts, and know how to act, so it takes a lot for us to feel uncomfortable in a given neighborhood. Speaking for myself, I've lived in San Francisco's Tenderloin as well as in Richmond (which has VA's highest crime rate) - and spent lots of time in Baltimore, DC, and New York. And the neighborhood we live in now (in Norfolk, VA) has a edge to it. So I can spot a sketchy neighborhood relatively easily. But if you have any local insight as to Minneapolis's issues, I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks everyone.

I think for anyone who's lived in a major metro like CHI, LA, NYC, SF, etc. Minneapolis will be a cake walk. The areas of high crime are easy to pinpoint and easily avoided. Other than that, common sense will suffice. The hard part will be not letting your guard down too much. That's what I did when I first moved here from NJ. I thought MSP was so cute I ended up getting some stuff stolen. But it was my fault, I was too distracted by how great it is here and wasn't thinking!

[xGrendelx]

Originally Posted by MidwestRedux

For these reasons, I would say that its hard to compare MPLS to any of the places the OP has lived. Baltimore, Richmond and Norfolk are more similar to MPLS than New York City or San Francisco, but quite a bit different in many ways. If you've spent time in any of the previously mentioned midwestern cities, that would be your best frame of reference for Minneapolis.

Thanks! I have been to a handful of Midwestern cities, but usually for very short stays. This includes Milwaukee, Chicago, Fort Wayne, and Ann Arbor. I loved the feel of Milwaukee and Chicago both. In both places I got to do some solo exploring and never felt uncomfortable, but I also didn't go strolling through the roughest spots in town.

[Steve Bowen]

Originally Posted by Thedosius

There was actually an interesting discussion about this very topic not too long ago-

Understanding MN Crime Graphs

Basically, Minneapolis uses a broader (and arguably better) definition of rape than other municipalities, even though it makes our statistics look worse.

That is an uncommonly courageous and mature decision for a big city police department. Many police departments just try to do whatever they can to make their stats look favorable.