Does crime really impact the average resident? (Philadelphia, Lancaster: middle-class, city hall)

[NSX1990]

Presently, I'm visiting near Philadelphia for a college program. Your city is amazing from what I seen, but the locals love to talk about crime. We made a class trip to the District Attorney's office by city hall, and one of the Assistant DA's said there are 60,000 criminal cases a year. Y'all got some serious crime stats.

However, what I wanna know is if the average person living in a decent neighborhood is impacted by crime more so here than any other big city?

I mean, if you live in the ghetto or are involved with gangs or drugs, yeah, I can understand the high chance of getting robbed or shot. But does a middle-class person in a middle-class neighborhood really need to worry?

Thanks in advance.

[lititzman2003]

I lived in Philly for 37 years, raised in Southwest Philly and then bought a house in Mayfair before moving to Lancaster County and was never a victim of violent crime. We had some cars broken into, things that were unlocked stolen from outside, etc but no one pointed a gun at me, no matter what part of the city I was visiting or traveling through. It seems that most of the homicides are drug-related or domestic in nature. It's basically a safe city and hopefully will improve with the new administration.

[FindingZen]

The short answer is probably not. But nothing is guaranteed, especially if your middle-class community rubs up against a struggling neighborhood with at least a few disgruntled residents. There can be a fine line between addressing crime issues by adding jobs vs. effectively pushing lower-income citizens out of town via gentrification (see DC, NYC, SF, etc.). Hopefully Philly will be able to strike a balance.

[bryson662001]

19 years and counting for me in Center City and nothing yet. I do live in a doorman building and valet park the car in the garage and do not employ any domestic help in my home so maybe that gives me an edge. For me it is a non issue and your right some people are obsessed and I do get tired of hearing about it. My mom had her wallet lifted from her bag in a crowded resturant once. But then she was also mugged in the quiet suburban New Jersey town where she lived so go figure.

[orrmobl]

Chances are more likely your car will be the victim - stolen hubcaps (for those who still have such things), broken windows, stolen batteries and airbags (possibly multiple times), cut soft tops, stuff stolen from inside or just thrown on the street.

If you are a woman living downtown or in the rougher areas, the threat of rape is quite real and you have to be on your p's and q's at all times and not travel the streets alone early mornings or late nights as you never know when the next nutjob will be coming out of the woodwork.

If you go to school in University City or St Joe's, I would say your risk goes up quite astronomically if you live there or are walking the streets at night.

And I'm always haunted by the story of a local reporter, Inquirer I think, who was shot in front of a convenience store in Germantown - he had parked and just stopped in to get something, and that was the last thing he ever did...

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by NSX1990

But does a middle-class person in a middle-class neighborhood really need to worry?

In my opinion, no, not any more than you would in a city setting. A lot of the crime (especially violent crime) tends to be drug-related and confined to certain areas. Unfortunately, things do happen, but if you're cautious and aware you should be fine. In 22 years of living there, our house was broken into once.

("There" being the generally-unknown neighborhood of East Oaklane. A safe little area just off N. Broad, but surrounded by West Mt. Airy, West Oaklane, Olney/Logan, and Cheltenham)

[Ohiogirl81]

Heck, yeah, crime affects your everyday life. For one thing, criminals are mobile. Just because you live in a so-called "nice" neighborhood doesn't mean you're immune to crime.

Think of how the mere possibility of being a victim of crime affects what you do on a daily basis, from locking your car doors and not venturing down certain streets at night to what you carry in your wallet and how you landscape your house.

[Kodiak314]

Originally Posted by NSX1990

Presently, I'm visiting near Philadelphia for a college program. Your city is amazing from what I seen, but the locals love to talk about crime. We made a class trip to the District Attorney's office by city hall, and one of the Assistant DA's said there are 60,000 criminal cases a year. Y'all got some serious crime stats.

However, what I wanna know is if the average person living in a decent neighborhood is impacted by crime more so here than any other big city?

I mean, if you live in the ghetto or are involved with gangs or drugs, yeah, I can understand the high chance of getting robbed or shot. But does a middle-class person in a middle-class neighborhood really need to worry?

Thanks in advance.

Ive lived in Philadelphia for 32 years (my entire life) minus the 5 years I was in the Marines.

I live in Holmesburg up in the NE section of the city and we have our fair share of crime....but it goes block to block....whereas my block is clean and well kept...and a few blocks over its a dump. I dont worry....I am proactive....

Keeping your neighborhood clean is an effort everyone needs to partake in or you will lose it to the less then desirable element.

[elsasmom]

My husband has lived in Society Hill and Queen Village for over 10 years. I've been here for 7. We LOVE Philadelphia. We rent in a very nice neighborhood in Queen Village. Nice enough that we can't afford to buy here. Over the last 5 years violent crimes here have increased significantly. Nothing has ever happened to us but I don't feel safe walking by myself anymore- especially with my 2 year old. A couple weeks ago a neighbor's daughter was mugged in broad daylight with a gun right in our courtyard. There have also been a string of break-ins during which the female at home has been assaulted.

If you asked me 5 years ago, I would have said that most of the crime was in north and west philly and I felt perfectly safe in center city. I honestly can't say that anymore.