Crime in Atlanta - Holy cow what have I gotten myself into? (Nashville: public school, living)

[cphbravo96]

Maybe I am insane because I am getting ready to relocate to Atlanta as we speak. However, I need the job so I guess I have to put my life on the line...and I will be packing heat.

For those of you that feel Atlanta is safer than some of the big cities listed are absolutely insane or lack the analytical ability to reason. If I lived in a town of 80 people and 60 of them were murdered last year and Atlanta 'only' had 80 it does NOT make my town safer because there were less murders. It's the percentage and per capita stats that matter.

Rule 1 in debating is you should not post or provide statistics that support the other person's argument(s). That should be common sense. You can't argue with ignorant people.

Regards

[a|ex]

Originally Posted by billl

According to who? Not according to the FBI.

2008: Atlanta 46381, DC 36894
2009: Atlanta 40708, DC 34593

Now if you want to look at just violent crimes, then yes DC is higher.

i'm focusing on violent crimes. there are traffic offenses that fall under crime.

-a|ex

[billl]

Originally Posted by a|ex

i'm focusing on violent crimes. there are traffic offenses that fall under crime.

You said "crime rate", not "violent crime rate".

Traffic offenses are not part of the crime statistics.

Here is how the FBI breaks down the numbers:

Violent crimes consist of murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault.
Property crimes consist of burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft.

Perhaps you think that burglary and theft are not important to consider when looking at a city's crime rate?

[Postcard Lover]

I was born in Atlanta and raised in the metro area. I've spent nearly all of my adult life here, and, currently, the area seems more violent than I can remember it being. Whether the statistics back up my impression, I don't know. I have fond memories of Atlanta, but it doesn't have the same atmosphere it did for me when I was younger.

I'm new here, so hello to everyone.

Best,

Linda

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cphbravo96

It's the percentage and per capita stats that matter.

Actually, those statistics can be very misleading.

Like every city, Atlanta certainly has some areas where crime is a problem.

But in terms of daily living, I'd wager that the vast majority of Atlantans consider this a very safe place. That includes neighborhoods inside the city limits. We've lived in several large cities and are absolutely as comfortable here as elsewhere.

To get an accurate feel for what a place is like, I'd worry less about per capita statistics and percentages and talk to people who have actual experience living there.

[billl]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Actually, those statistics can be very misleading.

Yes, as I pointed out earlier:

//www.city-data.com/forum/14507927-post58.html

Going strictly on crime per capita, cities like St. Petersburg FL, Columbus GA, Birmingham AL, and New Haven CT all have worse crime than Atlanta.

[Zone2flyboy]

Originally Posted by Postcard Lover

I was born in Atlanta and raised in the metro area. I've spent nearly all of my adult life here, and, currently, the area seems more violent than I can remember it being. Whether the statistics back up my impression, I don't know. I have fond memories of Atlanta, but it doesn't have the same atmosphere it did for me when I was younger.

I'm new here, so hello to everyone.

Best,

Linda

I grew up in Atlanta and IMO today crime is no where near what it used to be when I was younger. May I ask what part of Atlanta did you grow up in?

I think part of the discord in perception of crime lies in where people grew up. For those who grew up OTP, or even in inner ring areas like Dunwoody, Vinnings etc..., Im sure crime does seem worse now compared to 20 years ago when places like Sandy Springs and Marietta were totally different. For those of us who grew up ITP, crime is waaaaay down as people like me can remember the days of all the projects, drug wars, and prostitution. I think the bottom line today is crime is not worse than before, if anything it's better. Its just more wide spread now and not contained to just certain sections anymore. And for that I guess you can thank metro Atlanta's abundance of cheap houses.

[a|ex]

Originally Posted by billl

You said "crime rate", not "violent crime rate".

Traffic offenses are not part of the crime statistics.

Here is how the FBI breaks down the numbers:

Violent crimes consist of murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault.
Property crimes consist of burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft.

Perhaps you think that burglary and theft are not important to consider when looking at a city's crime rate?

okay, i agree. let's lump up the totals...
i'm not going to do the math for you, but including all the crime rates (total added up together) with close to similar population, Washington D.C. is higher than Atlanta. my point is that Atlanta has it's share of crimes, but by no means is it as bad as the OP stated it was.

the positive side is that crime rates throughout the U.S. are dropping.

-a|ex

[atlantagreg30127]

I'm about to rant... get ready...

As I've stated several times in the past, I've lived in Atlanta for 26 years now... soon to be 27. I don't have numbers to quote or charts to show, but I will say this, I feel it's the type of crimes being committed here now are what I think get folks scared - not necessarily the quantity or the fear of being "murdered".

Examples: When I moved here in 1984, Grant and Inman Parks were pretty much just underway in getting "redone" into nicer neighborhoods - crime as still an issue. It wasn't uncommon for people who lived there to say, "Oh, we've been broken into three times this year while we were on vacation", and some thought these people were nuts to go through that. Likewise, there were plenty of areas where your garden gnomes would be stolen from the front yard, or your mailbox might be tampered with, or if you left your car door unlocked, well, poof, something might be missing. That kind of stuff has always happened here - at least as long as I can remember.

What has not always happened here though, are a group of guys driving up to you in a SUV, stepping out and holding a gun to your face while they rob you on the sidewalk. Or people who break into your home when you're home, knowing full well there are people in the house. People driving their cars into the storefronts of businesses and clearing the place out - in some cases even while the store is actually open for business. People who burglarize a home and murder the family pets while they're there.

The list could go on, but my point is that it's not the fact there is crime here - as it's always been here... it's the new brand of maliciousness that the crimes have now. They're not petty theft and cat burglary types of crimes anymore - they're very malicious, many times violent, and much more brazen types of crimes and criminals than we have every had in Atlanta since I moved here. No, I would not compare Atlanta quite yet to old New Orleans, parts of L.A., or Baltimore, but at this rate, it may not be silly to think it will get there one day, and I don't fault people who relocate here to later think, "Wow, where did I move to??", either.

So let's not turn this into a statistics and numbers topic. And let's not criticize people who are legitimately concerned about crime in Atlanta. It's here, it's real, and in SOME aspects, it's getting worse in how violent and brazen it's become. It's true that your chances of being murdered here are actually very slim compared to other places, but if your home gets broken into twice and you're carjacked while getting gas, does that mean you still have a good quality of life here? Just being safe from being murdered isn't enough. It could be worse - but it could be better, too. Let's just hope the Mayor gets on the ball, citizens pitch in with neighborhood watches, and the criminal element decides one day that another city is an easer picking ground than we are.

[noah]

Count me among those that feel safe. I am a transplant, live ITP, go to Piedmont park several times a month, walk to restaurants etc and feel safe. I've never had any real issues despite the news stories.

Originally Posted by arjay57

Actually, those statistics can be very misleading.

Like every city, Atlanta certainly has some areas where crime is a problem.

But in terms of daily living, I'd wager that the vast majority of Atlantans consider this a very safe place. That includes neighborhoods inside the city limits. We've lived in several large cities and are absolutely as comfortable here as elsewhere.

To get an accurate feel for what a place is like, I'd worry less about per capita statistics and percentages and talk to people who have actual experience living there.