[BPt111]

Originally Posted by Marissa Marie

Thank you all so much. This info is so much more detailed and useful than what I've been able to find.

Personally I'm concerned that the risk of being approached for robbery / car jacking while merely driving to work may be out of my comfort zone...

I apologize for stating it was in downtown Hartford, I did not realize the difference.

On a different note, they also have opportunities in New Haven and Bridgeport (see below). Upon my initial research it seemed like Hartford was the safest of the three but now im not sure. Comparatively, would any of these locations be safer?

Bridgeport - between Barnum and stillman off east main st / 127

New Haven - 1 is off dixwell between cherry Ann and Bassett st; another is Lombard and James st ; the last is a block or 2 northeast of Yale-new haven hospital st Raphael medical

Thank you again!!

I recommed moving to their nearby suburbs.

[BPt111]

Hartford is same as New Haven/Bridgeport

[jabe]

I say stay in Raleigh, NC.

Compare the crime rates....

HARTFORD:
Population - 125,203
Murders - 23
Rapes - 27
Robberies - 640
Assaults - 965
Burglaries - 1,050
Larcenies - 3,467
Auto Thefts - 802

RALEIGH:
Population - 420,594
Murders - 17
Rapes - 113
Robberies - 665
Assaults - 985
Burglaries - 3,036
Larcenies - 9,812
Auto Thefts - 931

[wma152]

That's a lot of crimes for a city that's only 17SQ Miles.

[hvexpatinct]

I can speak for the one in New Haven near St Raph's - not a nice neighborhood, but that said, I commuted through it every day for 2 years without incident as a mid 20s female.

[Mixum]

Um.... No


There's a reason Hartford was voted one of the worst cities in the country. It's cause it is

[parentologist]

That area is dangerous, there is no question about it. You would need an escort to your car at the end of the day, probably not in the AM. There is a very small risk of a stray bullet hitting your car driving down Albany Ave. A very low, but definite risk of carjacking.

Also, you should keep in mind that there are higher risks involved working with middle schoolers, who are eleven to as high as fifteen years old, than in working with elementary schoolers. Some of your seventh and eighth graders will be part of the criminal element in the environs.

That being said, if you are used to dealing with this demographic, and with poorly run inner city slum school districts, then there are some things you can do to protect yourself.

Drive a reliable but older and unattractive car. Do NOT drive anything flashy, brand new, nothing that could attract attention. Don't even wash it. You want something that no thief would want to be caught dead in.

Visit the school first. Do they have a working intercom connection to the office in the classroom? Do they have a security officer in the building? You want to know that if there is a problem in the room, you can have backup help there quickly. Best of all would be a panic button under your desk. My SIL taught at a slum school where there was no working phone to the office in her classroom - she did not feel safe.

Do they have a lit, fenced, guarded parking lot adjacent to the school? Will a security guard walk you to your car at the end of the day?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then I think it is relatively safe to take the job. But know that this slum area is as bad as any slum area in the country.

For places to live, you should also look at West Hartford near the center. There is a lot of vibrant young life going on in the center, and it's a lot closer to work for you.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by wma152

That's a lot of crimes for a city that's only 17SQ Miles.

Seems like we go through this flawed logic every year. I'm waiting for Jay to come on and explain, as he has done in the past, as to why this statistic is skewed vs. other (especially newer) cities. The 17 sq mi that is Hartford should be viewed as the inner core of a much larger metro area (Raleigh is 142 sq mi for example).

In terms of the OP and this thread--the neighborhood in question is not considered a good area (but there are worse areas in Hartford). So you will have to see if your personal risk can be managed (Parentologist's suggestions are excellent) to give you comfort.

[wma152]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Seems like we go through this flawed logic every year. I'm waiting for Jay to come on and explain, as he has done in the past, as to why this statistic is skewed vs. other (especially newer) cities. The 17 sq mi that is Hartford should be viewed as the inner core of a much larger metro area (Raleigh is 142 sq mi for example).

In terms of the OP and this thread--the neighborhood in question is not considered a good area (but there are worse areas in Hartford). So you will have to see if your personal risk can be managed (Parentologist's suggestions are excellent) to give you comfort.

Huh? We not not talking about the Metro-Hartford Area crime stats. We are talking specifically crimes in the City of Hartford, which is scary due to the fact that is only 17 SQ miles, which means that these large number of criminals are packed in a very tight area.

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by wma152

Huh? We not not talking about the Metro-Hartford Area crime stats. We are talking specifically crimes in the City of Hartford, which is scary due to the fact that is only 17 SQ miles, which means that these large number of criminals are packed in a very tight area.

Bridgeport also is like 15 sq with 142,000... Really 16 Sq but 1 sq is taken up by factories,