Janaf shopping center area

[nyc2va76]

Originally Posted by rtandc

No one area is safer than another......LOL now that is funny, sure crime can happen anywhere, no place is 100% safe but areas like Military Circle have a long history of having high crime stats.......have you even looked at the crime stats for the local cities........spend a few minutes doing that then get back to this post...I am sure you will be singing a different tune

Yes and compared to where I'm from it's not bad at all although it was a bigger city.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by nyc2va76

No one area is safer than the other. The things that go on in Military Circle or Janaf can happen at Greenbrier, McArthur Center, Lynnhaven etc. It's not limited to one area. I know Military Circle and Janaf have a high concentration of urban stores so it tends to bring a different clientele but it's not to say that the area is bad. Most teens and young adults are there to shop or to meet females.
Just remember just because you maybe at a shopping area that is safer doesn't mean it is 100 percent safe.

Yeah, sure, things can happen at "any mall" or any place anywhere for that matter. The problem is though, that those "things" keep happening constantly at that particuliar mall, as RTandC pointed out. The crime stats speak for themselves.

Sure, on any given day, the majority of people at Military are peaceful law abiding citizenry, not there to cause any trouble. The issue is though, there is an unacceptable number of people there who are prone to starting trouble, or are there specifically to create trouble. Can that be blamed on the "urban" culture of Military? Im not sure there is any actual evidence of that, but trying to claim that the odds of crime happening at Greenbrier or Lynnhaven are that of Military is just plain wrong.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by nyc2va76

Yes and compared to where I'm from it's not bad at all although it was a bigger city.

NYC has a far lower crime rate then Norfolk, and is very comparitable to Virginia Beach. NYC is actually a highly safe city. High crime is generally restricted to just a few areas, and there are large swaths of the city, primarily in Manhattan, that are virtually crime free.

Now, I guess if you lived in Brownsville or Crown Heights, you might have a different opinion of NYC.

[nyc2va76]

Originally Posted by Randomdude

NYC has a far lower crime rate then Norfolk, and is very comparitable to Virginia Beach. NYC is actually a highly safe city. High crime is generally restricted to just a few areas, and there are large swaths of the city, primarily in Manhattan, that are virtually crime free.

Now, I guess if you lived in Brownsville or Crown Heights, you might have a different opinion of NYC.

Although I did not live in Brownsville or Crown Heights, the area that I lived in was pretty rough around the edges. I'm not saying that Miltary Circle/ Janaf is safe. I just think at times people blow things out of proportion when it comes to crime in the area around Janaf.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by nyc2va76

Although I did not live in Brownsville or Crown Heights, the area that I lived in was pretty rough around the edges. I'm not saying that Miltary Circle/ Janaf is safe. I just think at times people blow things out of proportion when it comes to crime in the area around Janaf.

Maybe you are right, if comparing this area to highly crime filled areas. For instance, someone coming from South Detroit, or South Bronx, would laugh at the "danger" of Military.

However, in South Hampton Roads, weve been spoiled by a generally safe environment. Even our worst areas arent comparitable with neighborhoods that would be considered ok in Philadelphia or Baltimore.

So the level in crime at Military, to us Hampton Roads residents, is insane. Someone who is used to the average area of Hampton Roads size cannot believe how many us react to "bad areas" of Hampton Roads.

Believe me, I know where you are coming from. Ive known people from Detroit and Miami who laugh when I talk about Park Place, Lake Edward or Military. Where they are from, neighborhoods like that are actually desirable, while most of us here would only live there given absolutely no other option, and even then, might consider pitching a tent on the beach instead.

Things like this are always an issue of perspective.

[It's Cin!]

Originally Posted by nyc2va76

No one area is safer than the other. The things that go on in Military Circle or Janaf can happen at Greenbrier, McArthur Center, Lynnhaven etc. It's not limited to one area. I know Military Circle and Janaf have a high concentration of urban stores so it tends to bring a different clientele but it's not to say that the area is bad. Most teens and young adults are there to shop or to meet females.
Just remember just because you maybe at a shopping area that is safer doesn't mean it is 100 percent safe.

I'm not naive as to think that any place is 100 percent safe. One can secure themselves inside their home with a plethora of security options and still not be 100 percent safe. I however am not going to put myself (or my family) into a setting where there's a higher percentage of a crime of opportunity happening. Growing up I have lived all over the country and been in many different settings from ultra safe and secure to extremly unsafe. As a teen I grew up in Stockton, Ca. A pretty rough area. Even Military Circle Mall would be considered a "Macarthur Center" compared to some of the areas there. I learned street smarts early and know what kind of areas and people to be wary of. To NOT have some degree of fear was pure stupidity and an invitation to being a victim.
I study an area when I move to it to find out where I shouldnt venture. Every place has at least one. I follow the news and whats happening where. No, the Military Mall is not the WORST place to venture in Hampton Roads, but it's on the list! Now, As a female and as a Mom of a teenage girl I also do not want to put either of us in a situation where we'd get harassed just by being there alone. Yes, I know that the majority of people hanging out or shopping are not going to bother anyone, BUT there's always those jokers who think its okay to make rude or crude comments to females who are somewhere just minding their own business. That's not my cup of tea so I'll shop places I feel comfortable being. I've noticed that some of the other malls and shopping centers do not allow loitering so as to not scare off their shopping customers. For example if groups of people are gathering in the food court without eating or outside the mall/shopping entrances for too long, then security comes and tells them to move along. As a teenager/young adult, yeah, that would bite not being able to just hang out, but it's not the 80's anymore. Groups of people just loitering and not shopping/spending money are the ones most likely where trouble is going to pop up.