Single mom of two planning a move to Alaska..

[riffle]

Originally Posted by alyOSU

I considered Anchorage, or at least one of the surrounding towns, and my biggest worry really is crime. I have lived in highly populated areas alone with my kids, but everything I am reading/watching and from some friends of friends I have spoken to it seems like the crime rate in Anchorage is pretty high. I am prepared to protect my children, myself, and my property.. but don't really want to walk into it if I don't have to because of my kids. I know you can find crime everywhere, especially in places where there "isn't much else to do," but is it truly as exaggerated as people make it sound? I currently live about an hour outside of Chicago.. and they have some serious crime. Is the crime on Anchorage just on par with any other large city or is it a serious safety risk?

This is always hard to answer objectively. I will say this: when I have watched the nightly news in Chicago, I recall seeing stories several times about innocent kids being caught in the crossfire of drive-by shootings. Whether that's actually a common enough occurrence in Chicago to constitute a "serious safety risk", I don't know, but I can understand why it would give a parent pause. I don't think I ever recall hearing about that happening in Anchorage. There's plenty of crime if you associate with people doing unsavory things in unsavory places.

I would recommend that you visit both Anchorage and Fairbanks and see what you think. Realistically, finding a job will be your biggest challenge.

[Northrick]

Originally Posted by alyOSU

I considered Anchorage, or at least one of the surrounding towns, and my biggest worry really is crime. I have lived in highly populated areas alone with my kids, but everything I am reading/watching and from some friends of friends I have spoken to it seems like the crime rate in Anchorage is pretty high. I am prepared to protect my children, myself, and my property.. but don't really want to walk into it if I don't have to because of my kids. I know you can find crime everywhere, especially in places where there "isn't much else to do," but is it truly as exaggerated as people make it sound? I currently live about an hour outside of Chicago.. and they have some serious crime. Is the crime on Anchorage just on par with any other large city or is it a serious safety risk?

Pick a decent neighborhood to live in, stay out of the wrong bars, and don't associate with certain groups of people and you will be fine. At 290,000 people Anchorage isn't a large city. It certainly isn't Chicago, not even close.



Yes, our statistics aren't great, but normal prudence will reduce your chances of being one of those statistics to a pretty low number. We don't have kids but most of our friends do. I've never heard one of them say they want to move out of Anchorage because they are afraid for their kids or themselves.


What I like about Anchorage is: I have a good job; there are many of the amenities that a city offers without crushing traffic; and it is surrounded by the rest of Alaska. Right on the edge of town is Chugach State Park. At over 495,000 acres, it is one of the largest state parks in the nation (maybe 2nd largest, the only one I know that is bigger is Wood-Tikchik, also in AK). It is a gorgeous park and adjacent to Chugach National Forest - 6.9 million acres and surrounds Prince William Sound.



Below is a photo from a hike earlier this year with a local hiking group. We all live in Anchorage and it was a short drive from my house to the trail head for this hike. This was a Thursday night after work.

[Frostnip]

Originally Posted by riffle

There's plenty of crime if you associate with people doing unsavory things in unsavory places.

Originally Posted by Northrick

Yes, our statistics aren't great, but normal prudence will reduce your chances of being one of those statistics to a pretty low number.

This is the party line, and I understand why it's something people want to believe. It's not exactly incorrect - in all parts of the world (except during instances of wartime and similar unrest) by far one is more likely to be victimized by someone one knows and has a connection to. So it is possible anywhere to increase one's safety by being choosy about one's social and business circles, with the caveat that many of the worst predators are also the best at disguising their nature at the start, as many who have tried to escape an abusive relationship can attest.

That said, if you dig into the figures and analyses provided by various law enforcement agencies, Anchorage has an unusually high rate of stranger-on-stranger violent crime both compared to the state and to other parts of the US. I've posted documentation several times here, and I don't care to go on another citation run, but it's all out there if you get into the records and stats. Anchorage has a genuine crime problem that can't just be written off as a subset of people making bad decisions within their own subset of society.

The only place one can be anonymous is a big city, and Anchorage is the only big city Alaska has. It's only to be expected that it attracts some of the shadiest people. Combine that with how many end-of-the-roaders come to Alaska, and Alaska's history of upheaval, and it's a recipe for serious public safety concerns.

[Northrick]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

This is the party line, and I understand why it's something people want to believe. It's not exactly incorrect - in all parts of the world (except during instances of wartime and similar unrest) by far one is more likely to be victimized by someone one knows and has a connection to. So it is possible anywhere to increase one's safety by being choosy about one's social and business circles, with the caveat that many of the worst predators are also the best at disguising their nature at the start, as many who have tried to escape an abusive relationship can attest.

That said, if you dig into the figures and analyses provided by various law enforcement agencies, Anchorage has an unusually high rate of stranger-on-stranger violent crime both compared to the state and to other parts of the US. I've posted documentation several times here, and I don't care to go on another citation run, but it's all out there if you get into the records and stats. Anchorage has a genuine crime problem that can't just be written off as a subset of people making bad decisions within their own subset of society.

The only place one can be anonymous is a big city, and Anchorage is the only big city Alaska has. It's only to be expected that it attracts some of the shadiest people. Combine that with how many end-of-the-roaders come to Alaska, and Alaska's history of upheaval, and it's a recipe for serious public safety concerns.

I'm not part of any "party line." I'm just relaying my experiences as a 25 year Anchorage resident. Like any city there are good parts and bad parts. Stay out of the bad parts. None of my friends or coworkers that live in Anchorage have a serious fear of crime - none. We lock our doors and take the normal precautions that any one in the lower 48 would take. I'm reluctant to say this, but we have gone away for the weekend and forgot to close the garage door, nothing was taken.