Glendale and Tempe ranked in most dangerous suburbs top 10 list (Phoenix: low income, crimes)

[observer53]

Lived in Tempe for most of the last 40 years. Not buying this. Never felt unsafe in many parts of this city. I know someone who works with the City in this area, I'm going to ask him.

Just doing quick research into two of the homicides in Tempe reminds me of one important thing. Many homicides involve people who know one another. Drug deals, business partners, romantic relationships, family members. Those crimes can happen anywhere those people happen to be, and don't really have anything to do with how safe a city is.

[cactusland]

Camden, NJ has such insane amounts of crime to even see a jump like this to Tempe makes me think the list has a huge gap from the first three to the last few for how much crime we are really talking about. Does Tempe really have that much of a problem?

[Burning Madolf]

Um, HELLO? Can we please consider the source of this crap?

[Jukesgrrl]

First of all, read the article the OP linked to and I think you'll find the methodology of that study to be suspect. I wouldn't even classify many of these areas as "suburbs" and the vast discrepancy in median incomes makes comparing them weird.

Second, Arizona State University is, by enrollment, the largest public university in the entire USA. Given its national reputation as a party school, wouldn't you think that in addition to its thousands of fine, intelligent students, people who have nothing else on their mind but drinking, using drugs, having sex, and behaving with abandon would be attracted to enroll there? Are Tempe residents who are NOT ASU students put in danger because an inordinate number of ASU students are injured or die as a result of:
-getting in fights because someone was drunk
-dangerous sexual behavior because someone was drunk or drugged
-wrecking their cars because someone was drunk
-falling off balconies or through windows because someone was drunk
-getting lost and falling victim to exposure because someone was drunk
-hitting pedestrians (who often also are drunk) because someone driving was drunk
-drowning in swimming pools or lakes because someone was drunk
-setting their residences on fire because someone was drunk
-losing their ability to breathe because of bad combinations of alcohol and drugs.

Third, I would also note that in addition to both Glendale and Tempe, several other of the "suburbs" on this list are home to stadiums and other public places where thousands (who may not even live there) gather to watch sporting events or huge concerts and, again, get drunk. In areas surrounding these types of places, crimes such as assault and battery, sexual assault, property damage, car theft, robberies, etc., are rampant. Again, is that really relevant to residents who are non-participants in the dangerous revelry?

[azriverfan.]

Not surprised about Tempe. South Tempe is more or less an extension of Chandler so it is nice. But when you go north of the 60, it's a different ball game. I don't feel unsafe on the ASU campus and would not fear my child attending ASU. However, the neighborhoods in north Tempe particularly the areas around ASU are old and becoming unsafe. Areas that I used to frequent when I first moved here are places I will not go to particularly at night. Even certain business areas and strip malls have truly declined. For example, the southeast corner of Broadway and McClintock used to be a decent area. You didn't used to see homeless people walking down broadway and pushing grocery carts. That all started around 6 years ago. I think there was even a courthouse there at one point. Now the area has been occupied by seedy stores and you can see a lot of gangs hanging out in the parking lot. I remember going to the Red Devil pizza/pasta on Mill and Southern and never experiencing any trepidation going there. Now that area has gotten a little worse. I remember taking my kids to Tempe Public library on Southern and Rural in the 90's and early 2000's, and it was a completely safe area. I could easily go there in the evening and never feared anything. Now, I probably will avoid that area in the evening. That's a big change.

That being said, Tempe is doing all the right things and I have the utmost confidence those areas will be cleaned up. I truly feel that Tempe is the city that will receive the most praise in the next 10 years or so. If it isn't already, it's going to be the next "it" city in the Valley.

[KingBlunted]

Got lost driving from NH to a suburb in NJ this past sunday... I knew I was in a rough neighborhood. I could tell that I didn't belong, so I turned around and headed back the way I came... I truly felt out of place.. I was in Camden. I got lost on the way home in the Bronx NY, and didn't feel out of place, just lost.. Camden is different..

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

I did some work in Maryvale and understand the rating for Glendale. I get the petty crime associated with a college campus but I haven't seen the dangerous side of Tempe. Wthere is it? This is a big country and I can't believe that Tempe is top 10 dangerous.

You didn't feel unsafe in Maryvale? I did but then again, you're from Detroit so I imagine you have observed far worse LOL In that regard, Maryvale is much better.

But overall yeah, Phoenix residents are a bit pampered in this regard. Areas that are scary to a Phoenix resident are nothing compared to what exists in other cities. And I'm not talking just Detroit, D.C., Boston or New York. Even sunny suburbs like Houston and Miami have far worse areas. In Houston, there is nothing in Phoenix that remotely compares to the 5th Ward in Houston or Overtown in Miami. Even South Dallas is 10 times scarier than anything in Maryvale. Sure, if someone moved from Salt Lake City or Portland, Phoenix will seem much more unsafe by comparison.

[kytoaz]

Originally Posted by corydon

Clarksville IN??/ For those who do not know, it is somewhat across the Ohio river from Louisville???? Pretty tame place.
Didn't see Gary IN... That place is world famous for it's less savory neighborhoods.

Now, maybe the Bronx is not a suburb, or it has gotten real cozy over the last three months, that was the last time delivering a load out there.

Let's go west..... Had a early morning delivery in Lynwood CA, not a place that you will find in the vacation pics....

Camden I can see why they are at the top.

Yeah Clarksville being on this list definitely made me chuckle. I lived there for a while and to say it's an "unsafe place" is hilarious. The most dangerous thing about Clarksville is the constant desire to jump from a tall building every time you realize that you still live in Clarksville. I call shenanigans on this entire list.

And by the way, aren't east st. Louis and Pontiac Michigan considered suburbs?

[Rangerdude_Charlie]

I lived in Tempe for six years and the only thing that happened to me was a bicycle stolen which is fairly common around college campuses. I always felt safe in that city.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

You didn't feel unsafe in Maryvale? I did but then again, you're from Detroit so I imagine you have observed far worse LOL In that regard, Maryvale is much better.

But overall yeah, Phoenix residents are a bit pampered in this regard. Areas that are scary to a Phoenix resident are nothing compared to what exists in other cities. And I'm not talking just Detroit, D.C., Boston or New York. Even sunny suburbs like Houston and Miami have far worse areas. In Houston, there is nothing in Phoenix that remotely compares to the 5th Ward in Houston or Overtown in Miami. Even South Dallas is 10 times scarier than anything in Maryvale. Sure, if someone moved from Salt Lake City or Portland, Phoenix will seem much more unsafe by comparison.

Maryvale was a little sketchy but it looks like 90210 compared to some areas in Detroit. I never really felt unsafe there although maybe I was. OT, but I had some of the best Mexican food that I've had in valley there. Actually ever. With that said, and Glendale's proximity to what is probably the gang-hub of the valley, I guess I understand Glendale's rating.