Laveen vs. Surprise (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe: low crime, home, buy)

[Valley Resident]

Surprise is a city with just as much crime as in Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert, and the Avondale/Goodyear area combined. It is an O.K. city to live in. Better than El Mirage, Mesa, Laveen, and South Phoenix. Pretty much the same thing happens in all of them

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by Valley Resident

Surprise is a city with just as much crime as in Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert, and the Avondale/Goodyear area combined.

Per City-Data, here are the crime specs for all of those cities:

US Average: 325.2
Surprise: 237.3
Scottsdale: 242.1
Tempe: 564.7
Gilbert: 176.9
Avondale: 467.8

Some of these numbers could be a little skewed since some are from 2005 and others are from 2002, but they're all the latest information available on the City-Data pages.

Here are the crime stats per CNN's Money Magazine's article on the 100 Best Communities to live and has 2007 information. They do it a little differently. They list what they view as average for their best communities for personal crime incidents per 1,000 people and property crimes per 1,000 people.

Best communities average for personal crimes per 1,000 residents: 13
Best communities average for property crimes per 1,000 residents: 206

Surprise
Personal crimes per 1,000: 1
Property crimes per 1,000: 31

Scottsdale:
Personal crimes per 1,000: 2
Property crimes per 1,000: 33

Tempe:
Personal crimes per 1,000: 6
Property crimes per 1,000: 71

Gilbert:
Personal crimes per 1,000: 1
Property crimes per 1,000: 30

Avondale:
Personal crimes per 1,000: 9
Property crimes per 1,000: 70

Goodyear:
Personal crimes per 1,000: 3
Property crimes per 1,000: 55



Here's the link to Money Magazine's article. You can plug in whichever state you want to see the results. It's a pretty comprehensive list that covers lots of information besides just crime.

MONEY Magazine: Best places to live 2007: Arizona

[jco]

I thought it important to note, especially for the OP, that Valley Resident and instantclassic are the same person.

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by Valley Resident

I am sure you are aware of the incidents in some surprise schools last year since you are so up to date! I agree problems can happen anywhere but believe me you are only kidding yourself if you think Surprise is safe! IMO feeling safe went out years ago!

There are about 20 some odd schools in Surprise. Wanna elaborate a bit?

[_Charles_]

Surprise is nothing more than the west end of the surburban sprawl that now stretches all across the northern most part of Maricopa county just south of the Yavapai county line. When I first moved to Phoenix back in 1986 most of that area was open desert. In fact it was a spectacular example of the upland sonoran biome. Now it is cookie cutter houses and shopping malls stretching nearly 50 miles from Fountain Hills west to Surprise. There is nothing special about any of it.

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by _Charles_

Surprise is nothing more than the west end of the surburban sprawl that now stretches all across the northern most part of Maricopa county just south of the Yavapai county line. When I first moved to Phoenix back in 1986 most of that area was open desert. In fact it was a spectacular example of the upland sonoran biome. Now it is cookie cutter houses and shopping malls stretching nearly 50 miles from Fountain Hills west to Surprise. There is nothing special about any of it.

You've just described about 95% of the valley.

[ibarrio]

Originally Posted by jco

I thought it important to note, especially for the OP, that Valley Resident and instantclassic are the same person.

Some people have too much time.

anyways, the stats told the real picture

[Valley Resident]

Instantclassic is not the same person as me. We are just related and use the same computer!!!

[Valley Resident]

My son goes to Ashton Ranch Elem. School and trust me, they have had a few bad incidents. A 8th grader created a hit list and the principal found out a week ahead of time. A week later the student brought a knife to school and could've killed many students. No one was killed. The principal did get fired. Then at a charter school a kid created a hit list and brought a knife and threatened to kill all administrators.

[ibarrio]

A 8th grader created a hit list and the principal found out a week ahead of time. A week later the student brought a knife to school and could've killed many students. No one was killed. The principal did get fired. Then at a charter school a kid created a hit list and brought a knife and threatened to kill all administrators.

More a reflection on society then the area. You do know that Columbine is in a higher income area and is 89% white?

Happened at Quartz Hill High school as well, A high SES area near Palmdale,CA