Crime in Portland ? How bad is it really ? (Freeport, Camden: to rent, low crime)

[MarigoldsMom]

Well, my family has convinced me that any doubts I've had about moving to Maine will be gone once I get there. The family is moving to Freeport, where they are all from. My husband and I feel Portland might be better for us and our daughter. We have found (online) a charming little house in the Back Cove (or is it Bay) area. Is this a safe area to raise a family. We read on another site that there is surprisingly high crime in Portland. What is the crime there? Drugs? Burglaries? Gang activity?
Portland has more to do than some of the smaller towns, but is higher crime the trade off?

[Submariner]

Compared to most of the nation, the crime in Portland is extremely low.

Coming from most cities in the US, when moving to Portland you would be amazed that such a city could exist.

On the other hand, when compared to towns further North, Portland may have the 'appearance' of 'higher' crime than they have.

You see usually crime rates are documented 'per capita'. Like 1 per 100,000. Or 2.5 per 100,000.

You could have two communities side-by-side with the same crime rates. But if one has 10 times the population then you would read about crimes happening 10 times more often in that community as compared to the smaller community. Even though both have the same exact crime rate.

Portland is the most populated city in Maine, so if you read their newspaper everyday obviously drug busts or burglaries will be reported more often. But if you read a small town's newspaper those things might only be reported very rarely. Even though both areas shared very low crime rates.

[Maineah]

There is a Somalian influence in Portland that has unfortunately brought a measure of crime that was not seen prevoiusly. I'm sure I'll be called prejudice and racist for stating the facts (so be it) but the facts are there for anyone to see. These areas are seeing a big increase in violent, gun related crime, and drug crime. Portland Police have had their hands full trying to deal with this problem.( they specifically asked for tasers to deal with this problem). I know it is not politically correct to blame a crime increase on any one segment of the population but look at the police blotter and see where they spend their time. Check out the few shootings Portland had last year and see who was involved. Then draw your own conclusion.

[lrfox]

Is it Back Bay or Back Cove? Those are two very different neighborhoods. Back Bay is sort of an ugly neighborhood (I feel like it's all parking lots and suburban style commercial buildings) adjacent to downtown. While Portland is mostly VERY safe when compared to cities nationwide, Back Bay is one of the uglier neighborhoods. I wouldn't call it "dangerous," but it's certainly not the safest or the prettiest in the city. It is conveniently located though.

Back Cove, on the other hand, is quite charming. It's a suburban neighborhood and much of it is within a mile or two of downtown Portland. It's right along the Back Cove trail which is a nice 3+ mile loop around the Back Cove. It's a very safe neighborhood.

As far as the specifics go, there are drugs everywhere... Portland is no exception. Being a port city may mean that drugs come in/out more regularly than some inland communities, but you'd have to go looking to find any evidence of it. It's certainly not a town in the midst of some sort of drug war or anything like that. "Gang" is an incredibly loose term. I've heard it used to describe 5 or so teenagers with a can of spraypaint and I've heard it used to describe large pockets of organized crime, and turf controlling murderers in urban areas. Are there gangs in Portland? Sure. There are some gangs. However, most of them tend to be more along the lines of teenagers with spraypaint than turf controlling murderers. There's certainly no such thing as "gang turf" in Portland. You may hear on the news about some "gang violence" once in a blue moon (this phrase is often used loosely, i.e. "drunks fight outside bar... gang involvement suspected."), but unless you're into some stuff that can't be mentioned on this forum, I highly doubt it will effect you in any way.

As with anywhere, burglaries can be an issue. Still, it's not a "problem" in Portland. I lived there for four years in what was considered to be (by local standards) a "tough" neighborhood (it wasn't tough at all) and never had or knew anyone who had a break in (car or home) in my area. I know that they occasionally do happen but most times (in my experience) it can be partially blamed on the person who was robbed. Leaving valuables out in the open (people somehow manage to do this all the time... my dad's GPS was robbed in sleepy Camden, ME. He left it sitting on the front seat), leaving doors unlocked, etc. can lead to your stuff getting taken. People will generally take what they can. Use common sense and most likely it won't be an issue for you. Burglary in Portland is not out of control or even something that's worse than most other places.

Crime may have increased a little bit in Portland (haven't lived there since last May, so I can't claim to know first hand anymore), but it's still very low compared to most other urban areas in the country. There is still no single neighborhood to avoid even though there are neighborhoods that don't have the "charm" of the more visible ones. I doubt you'll find crime to be an issue in Portland.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Maineah

There is a Somalian influence in Portland that has unfortunately brought a measure of crime that was not seen prevoiusly. I'm sure I'll be called prejudice and racist for stating the facts (so be it) but the facts are there for anyone to see. These areas are seeing a big increase in violent, gun related crime, and drug crime. Portland Police have had their hands full trying to deal with this problem.( they specifically asked for tasers to deal with this problem). I know it is not politically correct to blame a crime increase on any one segment of the population but look at the police blotter and see where they spend their time. Check out the few shootings Portland had last year and see who was involved. Then draw your own conclusion.

RACIST!





(kidding ). You're right on the mark.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by lrfox

RACIST!





(kidding ). You're right on the mark.

Your original reaction is unfortunately the most common one!! Too bad we can't approach a problem staring us in the face and call it for what it is. There are some sections of Portland I will not go to anymore and my friends and associates feel the same way. It's too bad some people have a propensity toward abhorrent behavior. I don't have an answer to the problem and nobody else seems to have one either.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by MarigoldsMom

Well, my family has convinced me that any doubts I've had about moving to Maine will be gone once I get there. The family is moving to Freeport, where they are all from. My husband and I feel Portland might be better for us and our daughter. We have found (online) a charming little house in the Back Cove (or is it Bay) area. Is this a safe area to raise a family. We read on another site that there is surprisingly high crime in Portland. What is the crime there? Drugs? Burglaries? Gang activity?
Portland has more to do than some of the smaller towns, but is higher crime the trade off?

Crime is subjective and it ALL depends on what you are used too. In my opinion Portland Crime and most of Maine is mostly petty crime.. theft, burglaries.. ect ect. maineah has a good point though and its worth noting that violent crime... once very scarce in maine... is growing.. whether your IN portland or Fort Kent I will say that it is still Location location location.. there are areas of LA, DC ect that would have far less crime then some places in Maine.. Sooo Portland could still be a little to general when talking crime rates.. I know Portland very well but still dont know the names of neighborhoods as well as I would like too.

may I suggest slowing down on finding a home though... The one thing about Maine is there is absolutely no way to fons a home "online"... it doesnt matter how many pictures its still the kind of place that you HAVE to see it... now I know that of course you would see a home before buying it.. but I would refrain from getting too excited... Ive been burnt a few times myself ..

Not too mention that its always better to rent for a year and get a feel for an area before investing into it.. good luck!

[K-Luv]

As usual, I am going to be the odd man out here. Is Portland safe? Yes. Does Portland have crime? Yes. Will you get mowed down by cross-fire? Probably not. Should you be concerned by such an event. Not really.

Portland is pretty safe, for the most part. The majority of crime around here involves buying/selling drugs, prostitution, crimes of desperation (stealing food from the grocery store, etc.), and what I like to call 'random tough-guy BS'.

Drugs are a big problem here, a far bigger problem then most are willing to admit, but interestingly enough - you don't have scores of druggies mugging people for pocket change like you would see in other cities so they can get a fix. They will however, commit petty crimes to pay for their habits. Last summer, a bunch of homes in the West End were robbed. The culprits passed up TVs, stereos, computers, and other big-ticket items in favor of prescription drugs and cash at the ready.

If I remember correctly, there have been what, three murders in the Park Side neighborhood since the beginning of last summer, and also last summer saw groups of people aged 15 to early 20s wondering around Park Side randomly jumping people and pulling knives. One group approached a guy sitting on his porch and stabbed him to death. The Old Port also sees a good amount of fights on a regular basis at around 2 pm. Maybe that is not really crime, but still annoying.

A few weeks ago, a guy was stabbed to death in front of Maine Med Center. According to a witness, the guy didn't do anything to provoke the attack.

There was also the guy who beheaded his girlfriend then set her body on fire and there was that looney guy who walked around the West End and Park Side setting cars on fire.

That is just a few off the top of my head.

Personally, I would say to avoid Park Side (even though there are many college students and professionals young and old), Bay Side, and certain areas of the East End. The amount of crime that goes on around you all depends on how observant you are. While I do not buy, sell, or do drugs, I do notice the tell-tale signs that drugs are being run out of a few homes in my neighborhood. If you are the type of person who stays in after dark and is at work from 9 to 5, then you will probably not pick up on this and consider the neighborhood nice and safe.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Maineah

There is a Somalian influence in Portland that has unfortunately brought a measure of crime that was not seen prevoiusly.

I will agree with this, however, the problem is that when a few Somalians turn to such activities it is easy to blame the whole lot. I am not suggesting that is what you are doing, but hate and prejudice spread by misunderstanding and it is hard to understand a group that intentionally cuts themselves off from the rest of society.

[diablogun]

Lock all of the vile scum up that commits the crime, and the crime will go away. If instead the enablers make excuses for it and guys are arrested 30 times with no result, you have a prescription for higher crime. That 31st time is usually a murder or violent episode, it is a shame that the person who receives it is not usually the liberal that should--if there was true justice .