Nashville-violent crime rate stats? (Hendersonville, Gallatin: 2013, credit card, house)

[Escape From NY]

Hi all, just a few questions, I saw a list of the highest crime rates per capita that was just published and I could not believe that the state of Tennessee(number 1) and the city of Nashville itself were pretty high on these lists.

Now, I'm considering a move to the Nashville suburbs possibly next year, but I was a bit concerned after seeing these stats. Can anyone here on the forums help me to understand why this would be the case?

My daughter and I just got back from a visit to your fine city in February, and the people were wonderful. We never once felt like we were in a "high crime" city. We walked downtown at night and saw some of the nicest people hanging out having fun.

We drove throughout the whole city as best we could in those couple of days (Music Row, Colleges, Stadium area, downtown Nashville and the suburbs of Gallatin, Hendersonville, Mount Juliet and Spring Hill).

Now, I know that you cant read into stats too much, but I am a little concerned over the high crime rate numbers(especially the violent crime rate). Should I be this concerned or is there some other reason for these statistics? I would appreciate any input as we are very excited about a possible move to your beautiful city, but this did make me a little hesitant.

Thanks to all in advance!

[Escape From NY]

The story is about retirement states, but the crime stats are alarming. Here's the link:

Data: New York ranked worst state to retire in - Newsday

[nashvols]

The fact is, Nashville does have a higher than average crime rate.

The stats show (for the city) that the violent crime rate is dropping, thankfully, but it does remain higher than a number of peer cities. The murder rate is on the low side of "medium" when it comes to larger cities (43 murders in 2013 was a 50+ year low)...but for some reason, we have an astonishingly high aggravated assault rate.

And -- as is true in a lot of cities -- a lot of the crime is between parties that are acquainted with one another. While there are still a number of tragic random crimes, you can largely avoid it by being smart about where you are and who you associate with. As a native resident, there aren't a ton of places that I would avoid in daylight hours, but there are some where you have to keep your guard up. (For full disclosure, I'm a tall white male, so I might not be as inviting of a target as someone who is of slighter stature).

I think the suburbs are largely tame -- where the biggest concern is from property crime. This doesn't mean that there aren't armed robberies/home invasions in the burbs -- it's just not as common.


The best thing to do is to use good sense -- be aware of where you are. Avoid parking or walking in poorly-lit areas, especially if you are unfamiliar with your surroundings, and keep your doors locked (both house and car) without visible "goodies" sitting in plain sight. It boggles my mind that so many people in the suburbs open themselves up to crimes of opportunity by not locking up! You can search the forums and find a few stories of car break-ins where laptops, wallets, and even guns were taken -- and the doors weren't even locked! Don't be that person.

[Escape From NY]

Thanks, just trying to get some perspective as we are planning a possible relocation to your fine city.
Is the police force large enough to handle the recent population boom in these areas? Could that explain some of this data?

[CountryGirl2b=]

We moved here from CT four years ago, and when looking at 'stats' from all sorts of sources, I did note that Nashville had a higher crime rate than I was used to. That said, we live in the burbs and knock on wood, there really hasn't been much crime here that causes me to be overly concerned.

I am a short white woman. I regularly go into downtown Nashville for concerts. Usually leave right after, I get there early to park in well lit areas. There's always a swarm of people around. The biggest problem I have heard with downtown has been guys pretending to be parking attendants and selling bogus tickets (you're supposed to go to a central pay station and insert your credit card)!

I do not feel unsafe here. Downtown Hartford scared me more than downtown Nashville! I agree that a lot of the really awful crimes seem not to be random, but between people/spouses. So, just get yourself in with a good crowd!

You have to trust your gut sometimes. If you did not feel unsafe when you were here, there's a reason for that. Get a house in the burbs and just be aware of your surrounding, be smart. I think I would do that ANYWHERE I lived, to be honest . . . .

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by Escape From NY

Thanks, just trying to get some perspective as we are planning a possible relocation to your fine city.
Is the police force large enough to handle the recent population boom in these areas? Could that explain some of this data?

I think the police force is adequate. If it weren't, then I believe you would see a spike in the crime rate, when in reality it is on a steady decline.

http://www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/S...Population.pdf

Metro police is also adding new precincts (Madison is already opened, Midtown/Belmont is under construction, and there is a new, larger downtown precinct).

Metro has about 1,300 officers. Looking at a list of other cities, it's slightly lower in terms of officers/1,000 residents than a lot of the bigger departments, but still in line with a lot of cities our size.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by CountryGirl2b=

Get a house in the burbs and just be aware of your surrounding, be smart. I think I would do that ANYWHERE I lived, to be honest . . . .

This is obviously an individual choice, but I'd like to add that there are plenty of neighborhoods in the city that are perfectly safe.

[Escape From NY]

All this info is truly appreciated .

[budgiegirl]

I'm from the northeast (have lived near Philadelphia, directly in Boston, as well as rural NH). Like Boston and Philadelphia, I would say Nashville has places you would go, and places you would not go. I have occasionally had to drive through some of those places you normally would not go, and it's a little bit like entering a parallel universe. You don't even realize they exist until you are there.
As far as the touristy areas - they seem pretty clean cut to me, and I would not worry.
As far as the suburbs - I can only speak for Williamson County - but again, pretty wholesome.

When I moved here years ago (and this is my inner Yankee coming out), I had visions of Deliverance dancing through my head, so I had some trepidations about Tennessee generally speaking. I used to go on long (>10 mile day hikes) alone in New Hampshire, or camp overnight in the woods.... and I still won't do the long hikes alone here in TN. Not sure if that's because scenes from Deliverance are still playing in my head, or if I have just grown up and take fewer risks in general. Although it is interesting looking at the stats in the article from the OP, that TN ranked highest in violent crime and NH ranked near the lowest.

[JMT]

You really need to read this:

FBI — Caution Against Ranking

Just because there are more reported crimes in Nashville doesn't mean that there are actually more crimes in Nashville than there are in other comparably sized cities. From the above FBI web site:

"One city may report more crime than a comparable one, not because there is more crime, but rather because its law enforcement agency, through proactive efforts, identifies more offenses. Attitudes of the citizens toward crime and their crime reporting practices, especially concerning minor offenses, also have an impact on the volume of crimes known to police."