Best city to live in Near tampa for Family? (Lakeland: crime rates, safest)

[alphacoyle]

Originally Posted by Spooky08

It is 2016 and I have moved away from New Tampa once again (job took us across country)--I must not be meant to live in sunny New Tampa. Anyway, now that I've lived in several neighborhoods since moving to New Tampa originally (some time around 2002 and moving back and forth) I can give my honest opinions on the neighborhoods.
Lived in Live Oak-No background check--last I heard a sex offender moved in during 2015 despite a school being right outside of the gates.
Lived in Pebble Creek-No background check
Lived in Cory Lake-all renters must apply for background check

The one thing that stands out to me as a parent is sex offenders. I don't know why, but sex offenders seem to run rampant in the state of Florida, or at least Tampa. New Tampa is a great family area, but sex offenders still make their way there. Unfortunately, very few neighborhoods are taking a stance against this and protecting the kids of their communities. The last neighborhood I lived in was Cory Lake Isles off of Morris Bridge and Cross Creek (off of Bruce B. Blvd). This neighborhood aside from being luxurious, and looking like the true Fl with palm trees every where and paved streets, it is one of my favorite neighborhoods because THEY DO NOT ALLOW SEX OFFENDERS (or violent offenders)!!!

They run background checks. If you want to rent in this beautiful neighborhood you might be approved by your landlord, but you have to complete Cory Lake's application to be approved. Anyone who isn't a criminal will be fine, but any sex offenders or violent offenders might want to look at the other area neighborhoods in New Tampa who don't monitor criminals. Kudos to Cory Lake for stepping up and allowing kids to ride their bikes and walk to the pool/playground without parents having to worry as much about the sex offender that lives up the street.

Sex offenders or no sex offenders New Tampa is a great place to raise a family, like any where else you have to watch the criminals as it is still close enough to the city, but for the most part I felt very safe there.

Speaking as a native here's why sex offenders find FL so attractive; people move down here, disconnected from family, low income, unaware, and the children are just there; it's not like people know their neighbors or anyone's paying attention; drugs are endemic. Wages are low, rent is high, transient population; families fall apart; maybe the parents are familiar coming from smaller towns, less predator issues, is just bad; need to know the history of where you're moving; there are nice areas, but overall it's not good.

[alphacoyle]

Originally Posted by shunshine

I am a Mom of 4 children (15, 13, 11, 9) and am going through a separation with my husband and am looking to move to Fl in or around August of this year (2013.) The factors that will determine my move are, of course, affordability, safety, and school system. We currently also live in NH (nice place to raise younglings, but once they get older, I am afraid it gets very boring here for them.) There is not much work here for me (due to our location in NH) and could get more work by moving to a different area in NH, but again, there is really nothing holding us here. We have visited FL and absolutely LOVE IT! I would like to know what areas you could recommend besides the 33647 zip code? I just want to get a few options to research before I make a decision. My children also have an agent for acting/modeling which they only do for a hobby, so it would be helpful if we could move to an area where there is some auditions/work for kids as well (although, not a priority.) Thank you in advance for any suggestions that you may have.

I hope you did not come down here; this is exactly the situation that sex offenders thrive on, you're coming from an entirely different world in NH to a degenerate environment; going thru a divorce so family dynamic already not good; and you want to model your children

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by alphacoyle

Speaking as a native here's why sex offenders find FL so attractive; people move down here, disconnected from family, low income, unaware, and the children are just there; it's not like people know their neighbors or anyone's paying attention; drugs are endemic. Wages are low, rent is high, transient population; families fall apart; maybe the parents are familiar coming from smaller towns, less predator issues, is just bad; need to know the history of where you're moving; there are nice areas, but overall it's not good.

Dogs living with cats, cats living with dogs, oh whatever is happening!!!

Let's be paranoid and fatalistic.

Now I'll give you that there is a relatively high transient population in parts of the area, but painting with such a broad brush is still problematic. Take a look at the crime statistics for Tampa and surrounding areas and you'll see it's no worse that most major metropolitan areas.

Another factor is that our good friend and public servant, Grady Judd, is right next door and doing everything he can in his media ***** mode to go after child molesters and other such crews of society. While I don't fault his efforts, he tends to focus on this in general and as a result you see a lot about it in the media.

And while one of the requests was for a gated community, that is no protection from crime. It's a false sense of security for the most part, and while it does limit access, there is still crime committed in these communities, and some cases, more than the average because their makeup tends to attract opportunistic criminals.

RM

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Dogs living with cats, cats living with dogs, oh whatever is happening!!!

Let's be paranoid and fatalistic.

Now I'll give you that there is a relatively high transient population in parts of the area, but painting with such a broad brush is still problematic. Take a look at the crime statistics for Tampa and surrounding areas and you'll see it's no worse that most major metropolitan areas.

Another factor is that our good friend and public servant, Grady Judd, is right next door and doing everything he can in his media ***** mode to go after child molesters and other such crews of society. While I don't fault his efforts, he tends to focus on this in general and as a result you see a lot about it in the media.

And while one of the requests was for a gated community, that is no protection from crime. It's a false sense of security for the most part, and while it does limit access, there is still crime committed in these communities, and some cases, more than the average because their makeup tends to attract opportunistic criminals.

RM

And speaking of Grady Judd; Lakeland is ranked as the #6 safest city to live in the US!

https://lakelandedc.com/lakeland-rat...ive-in-the-us/

[alphacoyle]

"Lakeland is ranked as the #6 safest city to live in the US"

I believe that is data manipulation; see a lot of promotion about Lakeland in tv etc; no way that is the 6th safest city in the USA, it's the gang epicenter of the greater Tampa Bay area; with New Port Richey being another to the north. Yes, Lakeland is trying to clean itself up, there were successful raid on guns, and a crackdown on the prostitution; but come on, it is what it is.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by alphacoyle

"Lakeland is ranked as the #6 safest city to live in the US"

I believe that is data manipulation; see a lot of promotion about Lakeland in tv etc; no way that is the 6th safest city in the USA, it's the gang epicenter of the greater Tampa Bay area; with New Port Richey being another to the north. Yes, Lakeland is trying to clean itself up, there were successful raid on guns, and a crackdown on the prostitution; but come on, it is what it is.

You are full of it - I live here and it's one of the nicest cities I have ever seen, and I have been around. You don't know squat about it - it's always people who have never lived here or in fact never even been here who spew this crap. But whatever, there are a few others on this forum who live here and they will readily attest to how nice it is here.

[alphacoyle]

That link's to the Lakeland Economic Development Council's site; and a brief article from msn isn't very trustworthy; show one from Sperlings etc. Lakeland doesn't even make the list of top 50 safest in FL, let alone the country; anyone with common sense could see that.

[KPB]

Originally Posted by alphacoyle

"Lakeland is ranked as the #6 safest city to live in the US"

I believe that is data manipulation; see a lot of promotion about Lakeland in tv etc; no way that is the 6th safest city in the USA, it's the gang epicenter of the greater Tampa Bay area; with New Port Richey being another to the north. Yes, Lakeland is trying to clean itself up, there were successful raid on guns, and a crackdown on the prostitution; but come on, it is what it is.

LOL, Can you tell me what part of Lakeland these gang's hang out? I've been here almost 5 years now and have never seen any?
And I'm all over Polk Co for work, I don't drive the same boring road to work in the same boring building with the same boring people doing the same boring thing every single day like some of you folks.

[KPB]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

You are full of it - I live here and it's one of the nicest cities I have ever seen, and I have been around. You don't know squat about it - it's always people who have never lived here or in fact never even been here who spew this crap. But whatever, there are a few others on this forum who live here and they will readily attest to how nice it is here.

Couldn't agree w/ you more! There's a few posters here that obviously have no life other than the CityData forum.

[alphacoyle]

LAKELAND CRIME DATA
info
CRIME INDEX
9
(100 is safest)

Safer than 9% of U.S. Cities

Lakeland has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes

Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site