Roanoke is NOT the most dangerous city in Virginia - and here is why (Richmond: real estate)

[Scott94]

There have been a lot of differing opinions thrown around on social media this week about the ranking of Roanoke being the most dangerous city in Virginia, and I've noticed more and more people are bringing up the issue on here. There are a number of reasons why I think the article is incorrect. The Real Estate company that did this ranking used data from 2012, which may not seem like a big deal, but a lot can happen in two years. For instance, the current numbers have Roanoke at the number four spot instead. Not a big difference, but still something. Both the FBI and Virginia State Police have made it clear that the data collected was not intended to be used for something like this, as even though it is correct, there are numerous variables that aren't accounted for that lead to misleading information. For instance, since the figure only includes Roanoke city, the population sampled is much smaller than in reality, increasing the chances that those 97,000 will be involved in a crime. Roanoke city is also a major shopping destination for thousands of people outside the valley, so if these non-city residents commit a crime while in city limits (Valley View Mall, for example), that will also be included in these numbers.

Bottom line, is that I believe that this ranking is irresponsible and can only deceive people into believing that Roanoke is much worse than it is. That said, if you are looking for crime in the "right" places, then you will be sure to find it, as is true with any city in America. People like to piggy-back off rankings like this to express their negative opinions of Roanoke, but I believe some of these are simply over-exaggerated. These are just my thoughts, feel free to offer your own.

[Diff1]

Yea there is no way Roanoke is more dangerous than Richmond(Mosbey Court,Gilpin Court) and Newport News(East End)

[Lucky_Town]

Claims about Roanoke crime draw police response - Crime - Mobile