Crime (violent) on the Peninsula?? (San Francisco, Santa Clara: apartment, rent, sex offenders)
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Hello again! So, in researching a possible move to the Bay Area, I have stumbled upon these crime websites that show all of the reported incidents of criminal activity, plotted on a map. I have been a little bit surprised by the number of armed robberies, "shots fired", etc AND the number of sex offenders that show up on these maps in supposedly "upscale" areas.
I'm sure I'm naive, but I haven't lived in, what I considered, excessively safe areas (other than Munich) before now. When I search the crime in those areas, I see almost no violent activity. However, in Los Altos, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Willow Glen, etc, I keep seeing a lot of more violent activity (over just a 2 month period).... (with the report times often in the middle of the day) Do you feel safe in these areas? Or, is safety something you think about on a daily basis (particularly if you have kids)? I"m just trying to gauge how "real" the problem is...
With respect to the sex offenders, I know everyone (based on other threads I have read) will say "oh, those are 20 year olds dating 17 year olds". But, when I clicked on the "info" I kept finding men that offended in their 30's+ to kids under 15... hardly "statutory rape". Are sex crimes pervasive here? Or, are the laws just more tolerant regarding where sex offenders live, etc (near parks, schools, etc) I am less worried about this for myself than for my super-outgoing kids. Unfortunately/fortunately, they will make friends with almost anyone. I like to think there will be an age (before 18) when I can send them to the park without constant supervision and worry.
I am really not a nut....but, the websites paint a bit of a scary picture. Trying to get a feel for what it is really like if you are living in these areas.
Did you just pick the Bay Area as a place on a map that you'd like to move to or have you been here? There are certain areas that you just don't go to, but it's just laughable that you list Los Altos, Palo Alto, Mountain View and Willow Glen as violent areas (with the exception of East Palo Alto). You really need to take a visit, rent a car, and drive around to witness first hand the area. Before moving to the US - we had the Primetime/20-20/60 minutes impression of the US - where people were being shot, mugged, car jacked, raped, etc. just walking out their front door. Seems to me that you have this same impression.
In the 3 years we have lived in the Bay area, I only felt unsafe ONCE, and that was in San Francisco walking from a parking lot to the Orpheum Theatre a 2pm - the homeless were threatening and agressive.
As for sex offenders - most prey on family members or the kids of close friends. I've never thought twice about a sex offender jumping out at a park to molest a kid and running off. I was more concerned with my children going to sleepovers, and having an older brother or father do something to my kids (they didn't go to sleepovers until they were in their teens)
You really need to come here and see for yourself, and get a comfort level and to see the US isn't the big bad place that the internet and media makes it out to be
the question is *which* areas of los altos/palo alto/mountain view/willow glen have all this supposed crime acrivity
idk what youre seeing on those crime maps but i suspect its concentrated nearer to east palo alto, rengstorff park and east willow glen aka "ghetto glen"
if not, idk what to tell you because los altos is so sleepy and boring, palo alto and most of mountain view are eye-pleasingly suburban
willow glen has kids runnjng around all over the place. its about as middle class a neighborhood as youll find in central san jose
what i didnt see you mention was the almaden valley which should be on your list
its a bedroom community in south san jose which is geographically isolated from the lousier parts of the rest of san jose and is nestled against the santa cruz mountain foothills
im sure youll manage to find crime maps of the almaden valley too, tho *shrug*
*edit*
also look at los gatos, monte sereno and saratoga
anywhere along the foothills is very nice
regarding crime maps, i suggest you either stop obsessing over them or start looking at gated communities as those communities may be the only places which will give you the assurance you seem to want
Thanks to you both for some input. I didn't start off looking at crime maps (and am not obsessing over them, just following up on what I found), but they started coming up when I would search about info on neighborhoods. I was actually quite surprised to see multiple instances of armed robbery (i.e gun/knife point), shots fired, etc in a 30 - 60 day period in the areas I mentioned. But, while I have heard of East Palo Alto, I am not that familiar with the other nuances of the various neighborhoods. I figured, based on what I was reading, that the crime map was not telling an accurate story. But, wanted to ask as I will not have a chance to travel there before we make a decision.
I am American, and lived in mid-sized cities until a few years ago. I don't perceive the US as being full of violent crime (although, I will admit that since we have moved I seem to hear about more violent crime than when I lived there). I have been to San Francisco and Napa, but never South Bay/the Peninsula. We didn't pick the Bay area from a map, and weren't looking to move at the moment, but my hubby has a good job opportunity. He has been many times and loves it. He is almost never worried about crime (even when he should be), so it isn't something I would ask him about. I wasn't sure if some of (what feels like) the higher incidence of crime is really just a matter of more people living in a smaller area, or if it is just living in a big city vs. a med/small city. So, I really just wondered how much personal safety weighed on peoples minds that were living there.
sjnative, thank you for the additional neighborhood suggestions. We are considering Saratoga, but I thought Los Gatos and Alameden Valley looked like too far of a commute (hubby would work in Palo Alto). easybay, also, excellent point about family members/family friends being the biggest risk. As a parent, you would think I would remember something like that! (but, I didn't).
btw, interesting to see how people "read" what I wrote. I'm not expecting a perfectly safe environment that can 100% guarantee no risks. I was just surprised to see these types of crimes in "sleepy" neighborhoods (house robberies/petty theft are expected...not armed robbery) and wanted to get a feel from people that live there to see if it is really a problem.
Before I moved here from the Uk I looked at those crime maps and yes I admit they freaked me out a bit too. Then having lived here for 2 years I can honestly agree with the others that I just dont feel worried or threatened . You will quickly learn the places to avoid and you will not be worried about the perceived crime.
Those crime maps list like every call that's made and that's why it looks a lot, if they did the same for where I used to live in England I am sure it would have been the same / worse, they didn't report it like they did here so you lived in ignorance.
I feel much safer here I think its just that all crimes small and big are made visible by these sites and its not a good thing if you are looking from abroad.
Thank you tilz! That is exactly what I was trying to figure out.... is it as bad as the maps make it look (b/c they do make the bay area look like a hotbed of crime Sounds like it is not, so I'm really happy to hear that.
Palo Alto is known for being very upscale. Since hubby will be working there, you ought to just live there. The less commuting, the better.
It's funny how there is crime and danger everywhere. You just acclimate to the area. My daughter graduated high school with a class of 12 kids in a town of 200 people in WA state, located right next to a national forest at the foot of a mountain. People thought, you can't get any safer than that. But the truth is, there are lot of scary people who live in the national forests now.
You just have to know your area, know how to be safe, and teach your kids what they need to know. Then, go have fun and don't worry about it, with that knowledge way in the back of your mind.
Thanks to you both for some input. I didn't start off looking at crime maps (and am not obsessing over them, just following up on what I found), but they started coming up when I would search about info on neighborhoods. I was actually quite surprised to see multiple instances of armed robbery (i.e gun/knife point), shots fired, etc in a 30 - 60 day period in the areas I mentioned. But, while I have heard of East Palo Alto, I am not that familiar with the other nuances of the various neighborhoods. I figured, based on what I was reading, that the crime map was not telling an accurate story. But, wanted to ask as I will not have a chance to travel there before we make a decision.
I have moved quite a bit and have lived in quite a few cities including Mountain View. Yes it's safe with many one area near Rengstorff Park that can be a little sketchy but not overly dangerous. I used to live near there. Anyone can tell you what places to avoid. If an apartment seems too cheap and too good to be true, it's probably in a bad neighborhood.
I'll admit, I moved to Mountain View without having seen it. I wouldn't recommend doing it that way. Some people really hate the Bay Area because of high cost, congestion etc. Some people really love it.
I agree with most of the other posters but let me provide an alternative viewpoint.
The Silicon Valley is not a small town. If you leave your doors unlocked, you will probably arrive home to unwelcome, possibly criminal, visitors. If you leave your garage open, your bike will be stolen. At some point, you will probably hear that one of your neighbors had his home broken into. You may not know your neighbors well.
I think about safety every day. I lock doors and gates. I set the house alarm (and installed one). I set up security cameras. I escort my children to visit friends, to/from school and stay with them at the park. I am concerned about safety but not so concerned to move/leave. There are safer places to live in the U.S.; safer places even in California.
The Silicon Valley can be a safe place for you but you will have to do more than you would somewhere else.
I agree with most of the other posters but let me provide an alternative viewpoint.
The Silicon Valley is not a small town. If you leave your doors unlocked, you will probably arrive home to unwelcome, possibly criminal, visitors. If you leave your garage open, your bike will be stolen. At some point, you will probably hear that one of your neighbors had his home broken into. You may not know your neighbors well.
I think about safety every day. I lock doors and gates. I set the house alarm (and installed one). I set up security cameras. I escort my children to visit friends, to/from school and stay with them at the park. I am concerned about safety but not so concerned to move/leave. There are safer places to live in the U.S.; safer places even in California.
The Silicon Valley can be a safe place for you but you will have to do more than you would somewhere else.
Just wanted to give an objective retort to this. I guess that makes sense near the university and the downtown square, but on the other side of Santa Clara, in house-only neighborhoods, almost no houses have alarm, neighbors leave their house with doors and windows unlocked (one even invited us to tour their house in their absence prior to us purchasing ours, can you believe that), garages are left open for hours on end with bikes prominently visible, and there is NO theft and no robbery. In the past 8 years, the only theft was a neighbor reporting an MP3 missing from her car, which it probably was the daughters or her friends. Detailed daily crime maps agree so it's not just a subjective impression (that is, until a couple of weeks ago, seems like SC police stopped reporting?). Children as young as 8 year old walk alone 3 blocks to school. Teenager girls can be seen jogging alone as late as 9pm.
Crime seems recurrent on busy streets - always, always the same spots (see Stevens Creek, Saratoga Ave., Homestead, etc.). And a good amount of neighborhoods in between are virtually free of crime. That's one upside over Europe where retail and housing is much more mixed. So, by all means, take the above post with several grains of salt.
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Sounds like it is not, so I'm really happy to hear that. 
