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I've been doing research here in the forums because my husband and I are considering re-locating to Charlotte for better job opportunities. My husband works in IT and there seem to be a lot of great jobs available in that area, compared to Philadelphia, where we are now.
What's beginning to make me nervous is just how many threads I've come across where people say they want to buy guns before they come to NC, or how they won't walk outside at night. I've read stories of home invasions, how some shopping areas are "gangsta" and recommendations to carry concealed weapons.
Do I have a reason to be alarmed? I've lived in Philly my whole life and have been affected by crime 3 times--one pickpocket; one stolen bike; and one assault on a group of my friends. I'm starting to feel like if I move to Charlotte, I need to build an armed compound.
Is this just the tendency of folks to share the bad more than the good?
We're considering the Ayrsley neighborhood, if that matters.
I lived in Philly too and when the news keeps an on going tally of the murders that occur each night, which included a number of cops last summer was the about the time I started looking into Charlotte (for more reasons than just crime)
I feel so much safer in Charlotte. A lot of the cops at least in the Huntersville area, north of the city, have take home vehicles and I love having two cop cars just sitting in the parking lot, it doesn't bother me that no ones in them, just one of those comfort things. I think there's a lot that think it's bad down here, but at the same time there are a number of threads that complain about traffic which doesn't compare with I-76 even in the off hours.
As a side note, expect a bunch of people questioning the comment about 'there seem to be a lot of great jobs available in that area.' The Recession or near recession is everywhere...
From Morgan Quitno...
Most Dangerous 10: Cities with Pops 500,000+
1 Detroit
2 Baltimore
3 Memphis
4 Washington DC 5 PHILADELPHIA
6 Dallas
7 Nashville 8 CHARLOTTE
9 Columbus OH
10 Houston
New York City is listed as Number 4 for the SAFEST City...
Last edited by MysteryMT; 08-14-2008 at 11:02 AM..
Charlotte is very safe as long as you take some basic precautions. Keep your cars and doors locked, keep valuables out of sight, and keep your front and back doors well-lit at night. Maybe even consider a home security system (ADT, CPI, etc.)
I think that a lot of people maybe move here and still think of Charlotte as a "town" and not a city. They do foolish things like leaving their cars unlocked or their garage doors open, etc. The fact is that criminals are like water - they take the path of least resistance.
If you have your house locked and an ADT sign in the front yard and your neighbor has his garage door wide open, the criminal is going to loot your neighbor's house 11 times out of 10.
Good luck on your potential move, and I hope things work out. I don't know anything about Ayrsley but would be happy to share thoughts on north Meck. areas if you are interested.
I've lived here 5 years and the only thing I had happen was my car was broken into when in a parking garage (in a nice area in Ballantyne). No one I know has been robbed or burglarized. With that being said, Charlotte, like all cities, has areas you want to avoid.
My DH and I live in Ayrsley know and we're not worried about crime. We lock our doors at night but one of our cars sits outside and we've never had a problem. We've also walked home from Wild Wings late at night and never had any issues.
Sometimes when I read the newpaper it's like I'm not even living in the same city that is being written about.
Let's assume a million people live in a city and nine hundred thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine get through their day without an incident. They're hardly likely to charge on to their favorite forum and report "guess what, I went to work today and nothing happened." The media won't do that either. I've yet to see a story on the news that says "seventy thousand planes took off and landed today without incident."
So, you get a disproportianate amount of stories about crime rates etc. I bet if we got everyone who reads this forum to come on here everyday and report no crime, no accidents etc we could clog the site with so much traffic and put everything back in perspective.
N
PS: Reporting as of the 1st of the year...nothing has happened to me or anyone I know here in Charlotte.
Charlotte is a budding metropolis...with that comes a ton of people packed into an imaginary line that is "Charlotte." When you condense that many people into a small area, you're going to have a higher percentage of crime. That's how the numbers game works...so take crime rate statistics with a large grain of salt.
That said, I have yet to stumble upon any part of the city that truly makes me scared. Granted, I have not driven every mile of road here yet, but I've put down some mileage. I have also never been in fear for my or my wife's safety at any time...walking in our or other's neighborhoods, at the mall, getting gas, etc.
the talk about guns is just gun advocates bantering back in forth (I'm allowed to say that since I'm one of the banterers!). It is not necessarily based on any specific happening here...and I would have the exact same discussion if I lived in the middle of the ocean on a barge far away from teh nearest person! It's just a trait that some folks have...the want and need to defend themselves and their property in a day and age when it seems like everyone would rather put out a plate of chocolate chip cookies and milk for the bad guys rather than give them a taste of their own medicine.
I've spent a very small amount of time in Philly. There is absolutely no comparison between Charlotte and Philly...with Charlotte being a clear victor in a "where do I move" contest! Come visit us...stay for a long weekend. You'll see.
Let's assume a million people live in a city and nine hundred thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine get through their day without an incident. They're hardly likely to charge on to their favorite forum and report "guess what, I went to work today and nothing happened." The media won't do that either. I've yet to see a story on the news that says "seventy thousand planes took off and landed today without incident."
So, you get a disproportianate amount of stories about crime rates etc. I bet if we got everyone who reads this forum to come on here everyday and report no crime, no accidents etc we could clog the site with so much traffic and put everything back in perspective.
I hear what you're saying, but when you're getting reputable statistics based on police crime reports, etc...it's hard to argue the facts.
The city of Charlotte and the county of Mecklenburg have been very slow to react to a growing population. The police force and the district attorney's office have neither grown nor received adequate funding as the city/county's tax coffers swelled with new taxes from new residents. As a result, perps are back on the street faster than the police can arrest them. Probation, rather than prison time, is the norm for most offenses.
This has led to an increase in crime and a decrease in safety.
There was a thread awhile back about 911 call wait times, and they were atrocious. I myself waited 25 minutes for the police to come at 3am when someone attempted to break into my house. (Which was locked and armed with a security system DBGNCSU05). Citizens are demanding action, but there has been a minimal response.
This was a site posted by another user that can show you a map of 911 calls for help and places were reports were taken. I haven't played around with it too much, but it looks like you can zoom into a specific area and then also use the 'identify' option on the left side to find out what specifically was the charge.
I did a quick search and found one area ranged from Vandalism to Armed Robbery. Also I think if you check 'Calls for Service' it will include anyone that called 911, which may include just traffic accidents so take it just as another source of information...
Additional question for the general population - in the crime mapping tool, what does 'Exceptionally Cleared' mean under the clearance status, I understand 'Cleared by Arrest' and 'Open', just curious, thanks.
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