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I've been seeing alot of people on these forums quoting crime rate statistics for different cities and comparing them, so I did a little looking at the crime stats myself and found some very questionable data.
I compared crime rates in cities in Southern California with cities in North Carolina and found that many areas in SoCal seem to have lower crime rates than places like Greensboro, Charlolette and Raleigh. I lived in SoCal for 25 years and from firsthand experience I can say there is much more crime there than here. The data seems to be quite bit skewed.
Take for example the number of burglaries in Compton California (653.5 per 100,000) vs. Greensboro North Carolina (1536.9 per 100,000). How can a city that has 2 inch thick bulletproof glass at a pizza hut have fewer burgluries than a city like Greensboro???
Is it because bulletproof glass in most establishments prevents burglaries? I doubt it. My theory is that the crime rates can only be based on crimes that are REPORTED to the police. In higher crime areas only crimes that are substantial are reported. In lower crime areas people will report even the smallest of crimes. It just takes a simple glance in one of the published crime reports in the small community local papers here in North Carolina to explain some of the skewed data. For example, you'll read about how someone had a six pack of beer stolen from the refridgerator in their garage or about some kids that threw rocks at someones mailbox. In most many places in SoCal crimes like that go unreported. I can just imagine someone in SoCal calling the police to report a missing six-pack of budweiser. Heck, you'd probably be ticketed by the police for harassing them to report such a crime.
I can't seem to comprehend how a city like Greensboro can be considered a more dangerous city than El Monte. (if you've been to El Monte, you'll know what I'm talking about). Something HAS to be throwing this data out of whack!
Believe it. Poverty begats crime, and the south has most of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by liveInNC
I've been seeing alot of people on these forums quoting crime rate statistics for different cities and comparing them, so I did a little looking at the crime stats myself and found some very questionable data.
I compared crime rates in cities in Southern California with cities in North Carolina and found that many areas in SoCal seem to have lower crime rates than places like Greensboro, Charlolette and Raleigh. I lived in SoCal for 25 years and from firsthand experience I can say there is much more crime there than here. The data seems to be quite bit skewed.
Take for example the number of burglaries in Compton California (653.5 per 100,000) vs. Greensboro North Carolina (1536.9 per 100,000). How can a city that has 2 inch thick bulletproof glass at a pizza hut have fewer burgluries than a city like Greensboro???
Is it because bulletproof glass in most establishments prevents burglaries? I doubt it. My theory is that the crime rates can only be based on crimes that are REPORTED to the police. In higher crime areas only crimes that are substantial are reported. In lower crime areas people will report even the smallest of crimes. It just takes a simple glance in one of the published crime reports in the small community local papers here in North Carolina to explain some of the skewed data. For example, you'll read about how someone had a six pack of beer stolen from the refridgerator in their garage or about some kids that threw rocks at someones mailbox. In most many places in SoCal crimes like that go unreported. I can just imagine someone in SoCal calling the police to report a missing six-pack of budweiser. Heck, you'd probably be ticketed by the police for harassing them to report such a crime.
I can't seem to comprehend how a city like Greensboro can be considered a more dangerous city than El Monte. (if you've been to El Monte, you'll know what I'm talking about). Something HAS to be throwing this data out of whack!
I've been seeing alot of people on these forums quoting crime rate statistics for different cities and comparing them, so I did a little looking at the crime stats myself and found some very questionable data.
I compared crime rates in cities in Southern California with cities in North Carolina and found that many areas in SoCal seem to have lower crime rates than places like Greensboro, Charlolette and Raleigh. I lived in SoCal for 25 years and from firsthand experience I can say there is much more crime there than here. The data seems to be quite bit skewed.
Take for example the number of burglaries in Compton California (653.5 per 100,000) vs. Greensboro North Carolina (1536.9 per 100,000). How can a city that has 2 inch thick bulletproof glass at a pizza hut have fewer burgluries than a city like Greensboro???
Is it because bulletproof glass in most establishments prevents burglaries? I doubt it. My theory is that the crime rates can only be based on crimes that are REPORTED to the police. In higher crime areas only crimes that are substantial are reported. In lower crime areas people will report even the smallest of crimes. It just takes a simple glance in one of the published crime reports in the small community local papers here in North Carolina to explain some of the skewed data. For example, you'll read about how someone had a six pack of beer stolen from the refridgerator in their garage or about some kids that threw rocks at someones mailbox. In most many places in SoCal crimes like that go unreported. I can just imagine someone in SoCal calling the police to report a missing six-pack of budweiser. Heck, you'd probably be ticketed by the police for harassing them to report such a crime.
I can't seem to comprehend how a city like Greensboro can be considered a more dangerous city than El Monte. (if you've been to El Monte, you'll know what I'm talking about). Something HAS to be throwing this data out of whack!
I'm not sure of the source of your Greensboro data, but the NC State Bureau of Investigation reported 3,954 burglaries per 100K residents for the City of Greensboro in 2005. The statewide average for North Carolina was 1,218.4 per 100K.
I'm not sure of the source of your Greensboro data, but the NC State Bureau of Investigation reported 3,954 burglaries per 100K residents for the City of Greensboro in 2005. The statewide average for North Carolina was 1,218.4 per 100K.
I was looking at the stats on city-data.com (the site this forum is on).
My husband and I are thinking of moving our family to the Charlotte area and I was also shocked to see the comparative crime report. I currently live right outside San Francisco and work in the heart of the city where I am afraid to even park my car in the daytime. I am curious to know in the Midwood neighborhood for example (which has 4X the crime rate of my current neighborhood) what is the PERCEIVED crime rate.
I feel pretty safe in my neighborhood but I also know to be smart.
I'm not sure of the source of your Greensboro data, but the NC State Bureau of Investigation reported 3,954 burglaries per 100K residents for the City of Greensboro in 2005. The statewide average for North Carolina was 1,218.4 per 100K.
I just looked at this report, since city-data.com is my site, and 3,954 is a total number of burglaries in Greensboro in 2005, not per 100,000 residents. So the crime data on city-data.com is correct.
[quote=liveInNC;142691]I've been seeing alot of people on these forums quoting crime rate statistics for different cities and comparing them, so I did a little looking at the crime stats myself and found some very questionable data.
I compared crime rates in cities in Southern California with cities in North Carolina and found that many areas in SoCal seem to have lower crime rates than places like Greensboro, Charlolette and Raleigh. I lived in SoCal for 25 years and from firsthand experience I can say there is much more crime there than here. The data seems to be quite bit skewed...
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We picked up a few local papers on our home search near Winston Salem. (Kernersville and Clemmons) and I can tell you first-hand that we saw Dog Bites, family arguements, rain coat stolen from car, etc. Almost no crimes that us northerners consider a real crime! Read a northern paper and say a suburb of Philadelphia and note the rapes, muggings, etc. I can't wait to move to NC even if my apple pie is stolen from the window ledge!!!
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I totally agree!
