Crime stats (Memphis, Chattanooga: crime rates, homes, live in)

[karen48089]

I have read so many threads on the crime rates in TN. Instead of reading a bunch of numbers, I would rather hear from the people that actually live there.
Memphis-Chattanooga- Nashville are the top ones listed.

Any thoughts or opinions?

[alleycat]

You are right about crime statistics; they only tell part of the story. So much crime involved things like drugs, late-night clubs, certain extremely rough areas of town, a certain lifestyle, certain jobs (such as working a convenience store on a busy street), etc. Of course, anyone, anywhere can be a victim of crime (I don't want to pretend it isn't), but if someone doesn't live in certain areas, isn't involved in drugs and other dubious activities, doesn't work at certain types of businesses -- then their chance of being a victim of crime is greatly reduced. I don't think people in most of the nicer parts of Nashville worry a great deal about crime (which is not to say they don't worry about it at all). I've lived or worked in Nashville for over 35 years; so far my only direct experience with crime was someone stealing my mower ten years ago. I have known a couple of men who were killed at their stores; one was a friend. Is there too much crime in Nashville? Absolutely. Is it so pervasive that people are afraid in their homes or afraid to go out? No. Is it something you need to take a few precautions with (especially if you're a woman)? Yes.

By the way, the Metro Nashville Police Department has an online interactive map that show various types of crimes in different areas of the city. Of the 35 council districts in Metro, the map shows four or five that are very high crime areas, another four or five that are high crime, another fifteen or twenty that are medium to medium low, and another five or ten that are low to very low. This is from memory; it's been a while since I've looked at the map closely. I could be a bit off in my analysis.

This is just my personal take on the subject; of course, it not a complete or full picture either.

[Escape Memphis]

Memphis is flat dangerous. Link here shows it as #2 for 2008 in metro-crime. http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/Metr...8_Rank_Rev.pdf. However the #1 crime MSA is just outside of Memphis MSA in AR (Pine Bluff). Nashville is #69 on this list. Nashville and Chattanooga are cake walks compared to Memphrica.

Funny thing...I mistakenly drove into Antioch a couple of weekends ago when I realized this was the 'super scary' place that Nashville friends had warned me about - Antioch was no problem compared to Memphis. I couldn't help but consider the effect on my Nashville friends if they mistakenly got off I-240 in Memphis at say, the Chelsea exit - totally different planet there (scary one). My suggestion = live anywhere in TN besides Memphis MSA.