El Paso : Second safest city in the US ! (Mission: credit, house)

[schog]

Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed

One thing I've been wondering, is just how the heck is El Paso's crime rate so low? Do a lot of crimes go unreported, or it's very effective policing, etc.? I find it truly astounding that a city with such a very low crime rate borders quite possibly the most dangerous city in North America.

Side question: What's the culture like in El Paso? Is it Mexican or something distinct and different from Mexican culture? Is Spanish widely spoken? What's the quality of life like? Are auto insurance rates high like in the RGV?

Although the both the RGV and El Paso are border communities. They are very different in culture. RGV is way more Tex-Mex than El Paso. I lived in Harlingen for 18 months and the food and culture are not the same. Its a very different vibe maybe because El Paso is right on the border and has a twist of New Mexico culture as well. RGV is very rural and sprawling. Our car insurance jumped by $124 for both vehicles when we moved down there. And vehicles in El Paso have to have an inspection sticker as well. Plus one thing that El Paso does have that I think attributes to lower rates is that EPPD have checkpoints something I never saw in Brownsville or Harlingen. But yeah those insurance rates killed us.

[alov0303]

Originally Posted by schog

Although the both the RGV and El Paso are border communities. They are very different in culture. RGV is way more Tex-Mex than El Paso. I lived in Harlingen for 18 months and the food and culture are not the same. Its a very different vibe maybe because El Paso is right on the border and has a twist of New Mexico culture as well. RGV is very rural and sprawling. Our car insurance jumped by $124 for both vehicles when we moved down there. And vehicles in El Paso have to have an inspection sticker as well. Plus one thing that El Paso does have that I think attributes to lower rates is that EPPD have checkpoints something I never saw in Brownsville or Harlingen. But yeah those insurance rates killed us.

Good comments - just to clarify though: what is the extent of the rgv?

[schog]

I'm assuming size? I was told the towns that carry the 956 area code make up the RGV. Mission all the way to Brownsville and I think Kingsville south. I was under the impression that Corpus Christi was included when we moved there but when I went to the crab shack in Corpus and asked about the whole area the waiter said "Corpus isn't considered the RGV". I hope that was the answer you were looking for.

[alov0303]

Originally Posted by schog

I'm assuming size? I was told the towns that carry the 956 area code make up the RGV. Mission all the way to Brownsville and I think Kingsville south. I was under the impression that Corpus Christi was included when we moved there but when I went to the crab shack in Corpus and asked about the whole area the waiter said "Corpus isn't considered the RGV". I hope that was the answer you were looking for.

Thanks - I didn't know where it was

[Chuco]

Originally Posted by Gary Siete

The Times & Mayor Cook have it wrong. El Paso was rated the 2nd safest city over 500,000 population. If you remove Honolulu then ELP is the safest city over 500,000 on the mainland.

CQ Press: City Crime Rankings 2009

El Paso is the 137th safest city and 144th safest metropolitan area.

//www.city-data.com/forum/16745829-post9.html

That was from last year, El Paso was ranked 2nd last year.

This is 2010's list:
http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/2010..._lowtohigh.pdf

#126 El Paso
#129 Honolulu
#132 New York

El Paso was finally ranked 1st after 13 years of being in the top 3. Good job El Paso!

[mistabinks]

Thank you for clearing that up Chuco.

[happy badger]

Originally Posted by joqua

El Paso named safest US city

by Daniel Borunda \ El Paso Times
Posted: 11/22/2010 12:00:00 AM MST

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_16675219

Not buying it, crime must be under reported.

[DtX4415]

The year is ending with one of the lowest numbers of homicide cases in recent history in El Paso.
During 2010, there were five homicides, all of which resulted in arrests or were solved.
It was the fewest cases the Police Department's 15-member Crimes Against Persons Unit has had in 20 years.

Homicide cases reach 20-year low in El Paso - El Paso Times




1979 - 33
1980 - 54
1981 - 35
1982 - 41
1983 - 33
1984 - 24
1985 - 26
1986 - 46
1987 - 25
1988 - 31
1989 - 41
1990 - 35
1991 - 52
1992 - 50
1993 - 56
1994 - 43
1995 - 38
1996 - 30
1997 - 25
1998 - 18
1999 - 14
2000 - 20
2001 - 20
2002 - 14
2003 - 21
2004 - 11
2005 - 14
2006 - 15
2007 - 17
2008 - 18
2009 - 13 -- 2.10
2010 - 5 (12/30)


El Paso for the most part has always been a "safe" city.

[mistabinks]

Originally Posted by happy badger

Not buying it, crime must be under reported.

Exactly. Crimes are obviously under reported. Forget that nobody is complaining about crime in El Paso. Forget that barely any significant crime ever makes the nightly news or local newspaper. Forget that everyone feels very safe here. But yeah, crime are happening, nobody is talking about them, and they are under reported.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by happy badger

Not buying it, crime must be under reported.

Burglaries and robberies are up - but of course are underreported or the EP Times chooses to leave out those stories as well as the number of assaults, but the murder rate is low. And Juarez can be given much credit. We don't need to count the murdered El Pasoans, because most of them got murdered in Juarez. Even if murdered by other El Pasoans. What happens in Juarez stays in Juarez. Even how someone ends up in Juarez isn't going to be questioned. As long as that's where the body ends up, it doesn't count.

As long as you have no enemies either outside the home or in it, you're quite safe here. Random acts of bodily violence are low.