Lancaster Area

[southern living]

[quote=theloneranger;9555330]There is crime on occasion everywhere, but the crime rate is higher in the southern suburbs... than in the north./quote]

Absolutely untrue.

I am sure you mean well loneranger, but like most notherners, you are ignorant of the facts about the southern burbs and instead go by what your northern buddies tell you at the water cooler.

the fact is, the above statement is wrong, and misleading. Its a good example of misinformation that southerners have to endure about their communities.

according to city-data.com crime index (the higher the index, the higher the crime), the US average is 320.9. The crime index for Duncanville is 329.7, which is comparable to Irving's 334. Desoto's is 273, which is lower than Garland's 296. Midlothian's is 209.7 and Plano 216.6. Farmers branch is 352!


The numbers show that crime is either the same, or lower in some southern burbs. I guarantee that nobody would have thought that crime in CH (225.3) was lower than richardson (243) and comparable to Frisco's (223.6)

The data just doesnt support your claim.

[theloneranger]

[quote=southern living;9561443]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

There is crime on occasion everywhere, but the crime rate is higher in the southern suburbs... than in the north./quote]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

Absolutely untrue.

I am sure you mean well loneranger, but like most notherners, you are ignorant of the facts about the southern burbs and instead go by what your northern buddies tell you at the water cooler.

the fact is, the above statement is wrong, and misleading. Its a good example of misinformation that southerners have to endure about their communities.

according to city-data.com crime index (the higher the index, the higher the crime), the US average is 320.9. The crime index for Duncanville is 329.7, which is comparable to Irving's 334. Desoto's is 273, which is lower than Garland's 296. Midlothian's is 209.7 and Plano 216.6. Farmers branch is 352!


The numbers show that crime is either the same, or lower in some southern burbs. I guarantee that nobody would have thought that crime in CH (225.3) was lower than richardson (243) and comparable to Frisco's (223.6)

The data just doesnt support your claim.

Yes, but the violent crime rate is higher in the southern sector.

City-Data is not the most accurate source of info. The FBI Crime Statistics reports are more accurate in my opinion because they are actually from a national law inforcement agency and not unsourced like C-D's are. For instance, when talking about Lancaster, which is the subject of this thread, and comparing it to Farmers Branch, which you highlighted, the only type of crime that was more common in FB was robbery. The murder rate in Lancaster was three times as high. The forcible rape rate was three times as high. The aggrevated assult rate was four times as high. Cedar Hill, the most affluent suburb in the south, also has a higer rate than FB in all of those areas, albeit by less high rates than Lancaster.

Farmers Branch is one of the least affluent suburbs in the north. So you can get a similar experience to the least affluent suburb in the north, but on the whole it isn't a comparison.

That being said, I don't think that you can write off the southern sector. I just definitely wouldn't recommend it to families without children because in all honesty the public schools are terrible, there are no private school options, and you can get an equivalent education in any number of safer areas. It also is a very African-American community, and many people who aren't African-Americans wouldn't be comfortable in that atmosphere, just like many African Americans aren't comfortable in a largely white or largely Hispanic area. And I personally don't like the lack of character in many of the northern suburbs--they are really bland. However, for a large majority of the posters on CD, the southern suburbs wouldn't be a great choice because of those reasons.

[southern living]

It turns out that the stats from city-data paint an accurate picture. this is confirmed by the city of Frisco police dept crime stats. again, we will just have to agree to disagree.

What i can agree to is that race plays a major role in the perceptions that people have

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

The murder rate in Lancaster was three times as high.

I just want to point out that when we compare the number of murders, we are talking about 1 in Lancaster vs. 0 in Farmers Branch. It is not like we are having a murder a week in Lancaster.

Originally Posted by theloneranger

That being said, I don't think that you can write off the southern sector. I just definitely wouldn't recommend it to families without children because in all honesty the public schools are terrible, there are no private school options, and you can get an equivalent education in any number of safer areas. It also is a very African-American community, and many people who aren't African-Americans wouldn't be comfortable in that atmosphere, just like many African Americans aren't comfortable in a largely white or largely Hispanic area. And I personally don't like the lack of character in many of the northern suburbs--they are really bland. However, for a large majority of the posters on CD, the southern suburbs wouldn't be a great choice because of those reasons.

OK, we get the picture. You don't like the southern suburbs and have a particular disdain for the city of Lancaster.

In the past few weeks, I have tried to take the high road and be respectful as you have constantly trashed my community, but enough is enough. The fact is that Lancaster continues to grow and despite all the negative things that have been said on city-data's forum, interest in Lancaster has risen since I created my account in 2007. I have never claimed that the Lancaster is perfect, no city is, but it is nowhere near as bad as you have tried to portray it. False perceptions about crime, schools, or demographics haven't prevented it from being one of the fastest growing communities in Dallas County over the past decade. If you took a drive through Lancaster, what you would see is typical middle-class suburb with beautiful homes, nice neighborhoods, and hardworking citizens.

You seem to ignore the dozens of posts from people who live in the area and love it. We all don't want to live or cram ourselves into the "it" suburbs north of Dallas when we have a decent quality of life here. The city of Lancaster and the other southern suburbs are not bad places to live. As with any Dallas-area suburb, most of the crimes committed in Lancaster are non-violent, property crimes. Not once in the twenty years or so that I have lived in the southern suburbs have I ever been a victim of or witnessed a violent crime.

You are totally wrong about the schools. First, there ARE private schools and public charter schools in Lancaster and the other southern suburbs. Second, not every school in Lancaster is "terrible." Again, that is your opinion. I actually have family members in Lancaster schools and they are getting a good education in a safe environment. If a student is highly motivated, they will do well no matter what district and school they are in. As many posters on city-data have said before, test scores and TAKS ratings aren't the only factors that determine whether a school district is good or not.

This type of city bashing on a daily basis may have been common on city-data in its heyday, but we now have more regular posters from Lancaster, DeSoto, and Cedar Hill residents on this forum who are going to challenge misinformed comments from people who have no on-the-ground knowledge of these communities.

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by kneal

i have noticed how all individuals all over the metroplex are constantly putting down southern dallas county, and its not fair. although the southern sector is not as affluent as our neighbors to the north doesnt mean they are more superior.and how theyre always saying its crime ridden, poor, ghetto, etc. last time i noticed ( plano) had a problem with students over dosing on drugs, or (richardson) having a bank robbery and had a high speed chase involving 4 suspects, or the (asian) boy who has an attempted murder on him involving a neighborhood friend (frisco) or a long time blk resident (plano) found dead in his home. the point im trying to make is these places are suppose to be( heaven) because its located north. ive been to plano( east) and its not what people think it is. every city has crime, but to say the southern is terrible it simply not true. we have income that has increased over the yrs( though not as high as north)property values increasing, business coming in along with new development , so if an individual choose to live else where thats great but dont call the southern sector( inferior) because its simply not true

I agree. There are a few posters who are going to look down on the southern suburbs no matter what is said by actual area residents like you and me, which is frustrating. They refuse to point out the many positives of living in our area and then to read comments that say things like I am "sacrificing my safety" by someone who has probably never lived or even spent a day here is just down right insulting.

[BigDGeek]

For me the issues with the southern suburbs have nothing to do with safety and more to do with the fact that all of my friends live north of downtown and my job is in the northern suburbs. Some of my coworkers do live in Cedar Hill, Lancaster, DeSoto, etc. and they have horrible commutes. But they love their communities!

[kneal]

i would like to say my wife and i have great income ( over 85,000) combined. when we left irving to purchase a home , we chose the southern sector.cedarhill was our first choice ( but nothing available) then we drove through lancaster( with our realtor) and fell in love with it. unlike the north the south is not built out. if lancaster has such a crime problem, why are business coming in ( chase bank, neighbor hood credit union, chilis, taco bell, taco cabana, home depot, etc) i could go on. now as far as these schools go if a child is commited to get a quality education, then he or she can. i went to a terrible high school in the late 90s and graduated ( on time, and near the top of my class) the point im trying to make is every area has good and bad ( north and south) quality of life could be had if you choose any sector but( lancaster) is not avoid if possible, because its not true