Wow Really? (Crime stats are making me not want to move to SA) (Houston: insurance, crime rate)

[SabresFanInSA]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Have you got a link for this? I'm not ever going to tell you it's picture-perfect here, it's not. It's a nice place to live and raise your family and your money will go far here. But 52 rapes a month? That's almost 2 a day and I don't think it's accurate at all.

It's pretty high here. In fact, we had a discussion here about them and I asked if the number was really that high or is it that more are being reported than in the past.

Either way, it seems like most of the violent crime here is isolated. Usually the perpetrator knows the victim. You rarely hear of random violent crime. I am sure it happens, but certainly not to the extent I am fearful something will happen to my wife and daughter if they are out without me.

[Bravetenebrous]

I don't have a link for the 52 rapes thing directly, we got that from one of those scouting companies that you can hire and they will break it all down for you. Schools, crime, employment rate that sort of thing. I can however give you this http://www.ci.sat.tx.us/SAPD/PDF/UCR09_JAN_JUN.PDF (broken link) that's a little out of date but it's from your own SAPD website.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Here's the statistics for 2009: United States cities by crime rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

San Antonio does seem to have more rapes than Baltimore. Baltimore has more murders though.

[Paul56]

I live in Schertz... just outside San Antonio proper.

I've heard of the odd crime here and there out here...

-places getting "broken into"... I say that because leaving the windows and doors unlocked is an invitation to a crime of easy opportunity.

-car getting stolen... owner thinks it was an inside job from the garage the car was at for a week.

I don't go looking for trouble and rarely go out after dark. No, I'm not a weenie... I've done most of my after dark running around in other places when I was younger.

[Bravetenebrous]

LOL hell yeah we do. Baltimore is a crap hole. Baltimore has tons of problems besides the murders too. High heroin rate for both using and selling, low job rate, horrible school ratings, and the taxes here are crazy. We pay a town tax, city tax, and state tax on our home so just in taxes we pay almost 7k a year for all our taxes on our home. So yup if anyone is interested in moving here from there LOL not sure why you would want to do that, but if you do look outside the city Columbia for a city kinda feel, Bel Air, Aberdeen, Churchville, Jarretsville for more of out of the way living. Well off to coach the tee ball game. Thanks again to all the useful answers, and I'm sure the others know what I have to say for them.

[Bo]

Some posts above were deleted. Since the word "relocation" is inserted automatically into the page title of many City-Data threads, you could naturally conclude that this is a relocation forum. That's why posts that aren't helpful or friendly to a person who is relocating are deleted.

It is not against the Terms of Service to post negative things about a place. Keep it friendly and helpful in this and all relocation threads.

[apal]

Well Baltimore probably has lower rates because they are not counted correctly .
Rapes In Baltimore | Reported rapes in Baltimore up 20 percent since policy shift - Baltimore Sun

[cobralou]

San Antonio is not as bad as most major cities and of course you are going to hear what you want to hear. Each city has its bad side of town and we are no different yet San Antonio is not as dense in population as Baltimore there most crimes are wide spread. Take a hard look at the area you plan on moving to and what crimes have been reported in that region. San Antonio is spreading out further and further through suburbs therefore the Bexar County line radius which is San Antonio gives one a false impression of the city related crimes.

[Caity115]

Since opinions are what you'd like, I'd like to weigh in and offer my own. As one of the many San Antonio natives on this forum, I've lived here my entire life (31 years). My husband and I have 3 daughters between the ages of 9 months and 9 years, we currently reside on the southeast side of SA and both grew up on this side of town. Maybe not the best of SA's areas but far better than our west side or east sides. We now just moved to the Brooks City Base area (still southeast side to me) and are pretty happy we did. As far as the crime stats...well for me personally, I've never known one single rape victim here my entire life. Not to say that it's not out there, I just didn't think that rape was that big of a problem here.
My husband and I tend to be very overprotective with ours girls so I can relate and understand your concerns Bravetebrous. Before making such a huge decision like uprooting your family you need to be well informed.
Is San Antonio perfect? No... Far from it, but where is. As with everywhere else, just stay informed and alert and you guys will be just fine if you decide to come down this way. If Baltimore is really all that bad then it's bound to be an improvement. Only one major piece of advice though... Try to avoid driving around past one in the morning here. Seems lately that's when all the nonsense on the roads occur (stupid drunk drivers). Whenever my husband hangs out with friends I always ask him to be home by then for that one reason. Good luck!

[rd2007]

Any negative stats you read are bogus, according to some, and they'll quote stats of their own to back their statement up, but never tell you where they got them from. I mentioned in another thread that most cities have the areas you stay out of and everything is fine. It was IRT Detroit, but it's applicable to many cities I've lived in and visited. The problem with SA is there is nowhere to avoid or stay out of. People here feel entitled to everything and will take things because they feel it's their right. They also have no regard for the law and feel that drunk driving laws aren't for them and choose to ignore them. The police won't do anything about it until a couple of their own get killed and then the "justice system" lets everyone off the hook as long as they promise to only commit 5 or 6 more violations over the next few years (that last part was obviously sarcasm, but you'd think it was fact if you lived here and saw the unbelievable number of multiple repeat DUI offenders).
For the original comments, I'd keep looking somewhere else. I know Baltimore isn't a great place, but SA is no suitable substitute. It may not have all the serious violent crime, but the amount of lesser crimes will drive you bonkers. My son just had his car broke into for the third time in a year. Those "minor" crimes really add up and this latest one is costing over $600 in car repairs (broken windown and punched out lock) and rental car fees.

Now where are those that only see things with rose colored glasses? Where's the stats that will set the OP straight?

BTW, since when can't you speak the truth in a relocation thread? If the OP is considering moving here, and they are, and they have questions like they have, then I would think CD would be interested in giving them facts and honest opinions. Otherwise we might as well only have 5-10 posters in here.