Murders and crime in these Virginia cities? (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: low income, crime)

[Alanboy395]

I'm just curious about what the homicide count is in these Virginia cities. Who is doing a good job or bad job on crime?

Norfolk
Portsmouth
Virginia Beach
Chesapeake
Hampton
Newport News
Suffolk
Petersburg
Richmond
Roanoke
Fairfax Co.
Manassas
Arlington

My city (alexandria) has 4 homicides which does worry a few b/c our average is 5. But crime is supposed to be down.

[ashbrn4]

Those towns/cities/suburbs you listed are very diverse in terms of population and income which affects stats. You really can't compare them by numbers alone and get a fair result. Areas with lower incomes and higher numbers of individuals living in poverty and higher drug problems will have a higher murder rate than a middle income and above area. Take a city like Richmond for example, there are areas in the city that are low income, high crime rate and within a few blocks, middle income, low crime rate. So to use the total number to judge the city's safety isn't a fair assessment. But, if numbers are what you want, do a search for crime stats for each location you list.

[seanpecor]

It's totally tricky as ashbrn4 states. The statistics are confusing. For example, when you look up Roanoke crime statistics they're not real bad, but not real great either. However, that's just for Roanoke City, which is all of 48 square miles! The Roanoke metro area though is over two thousand square miles. Combine the metro area and the crime statistics dip into the stellar category.

Sean

[robind64]

Unfortunately I must agree..Richmond City has pockets of area's that are very low socio-economic regions where the crime rate and drug traffic are high. Virginia Beach, not so much crime. Parts of Norfolk, higher. It is very intereseting to travel through these places and see the difference in culture. I am a native Richmonder, born and raised in Bon Air. No crime there then. But parts of that area have changed dramatically since the 70's, maybe a little more now..

[Stonecoldharbours]

I would post my opinons, but you would prolly get mad at me, again, so I won't even go there, but I will add this, Crime in hampton roads is outragous and I hate the fact that you have to go into a bad area in order to get a to a good area, that to me, is not good...oh well, hope i did not offend anyone!

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by PghPaNative

I would post my opinons, but you would prolly get mad at me, again, so I won't even go there, but I will add this, Crime in hampton roads is outragous and I hate the fact that you have to go into a bad area in order to get a to a good area, that to me, is not good...oh well, hope i did not offend anyone!

I'm not mad at you for feeling that HR has crime problems. I feel that more can be done to lower crime in every city in HR. What i'm mad at is you making the place seem like Iraq or Beirut. Hampton Roads ain't perfect but when compared to cities that are less than 1 1/2 hours from my front door HR crime is minimal. In the last week someone got shot and killed in DC with kids playing nearby less than 15 mintues from my neighborhood, 7 juveniles got shot in District Heights, MD in a drive-by shooting that would have made national news if it hadn't been for the location of the crime. Almost every day you read the Washington Post local section you'll hear about a murder somewhere in DC/MD. Baltimore and Richmond's crime is a secret to no one.

Crime is a fact of life no matter where you live or how much you pay for house. I live in Alexandria and the average house goes for nearly 600k and we've had 4 homicides including a double shooting in a "rich" section of town. You have to be on your guard no matter where you live. I was a victim of a home invasion and robbery when i lived in York county. Yes, not Hampton, not NN, not Portsmouth, not even Norfolk, York County. No place is completely safe, so you just have to take precautions.

As for driving through a ghetto to get to a nice place, i go through that getting to work, and the ghetto i go through is a part of Fairfax County. Yes, the county that has the super school district and the $2 million homes, even Fairfax Co. has a couple of ghettos. Just because i go through ghettos dosen't mean i'm getting robbed, i have to stay on my guard. I feel that i shouldn't be entitled to complete safety just because i pay a king's ransom for where i live. Maybe that resulted from my upbringing in Hampton and York County but that's just how i feel.

[Stonecoldharbours]

It could be that...I am just used to small towns most of my life, no real crime and most areas being pretty safe and livable...it was not till I moved to the south, that I had seen what I never experienced..rich and poor living mixed and so much crime...glad i did not offend you, I never meant to make it sound like some third world country, its not that bad yet, but I have to admit from the news I hear, even bout gangs in north denbigh now, where it used to quite and nice and seeing what I do now...I hate to even drive through there anymore, just wanted to clear that up!

[dollarz2008]

i need to know if richmond is a safe place to live and what areas have low crime rate

[richmondpics]

Overall the Richmond area is a safe place to live. Like any city, it has pockets of crime. Are you looking to move to Richmond? If so, what are you looking for in a community.

[dollarz2008]

I m looking for safe area for my children. Good schools no drugs. No crime area quite. And yes I plan to move there from New York