One of the reasons I am running for Sheriff is because I never want to see Anderson on a list like this again.
The 30 Most Dangerous Cities in America
Nationally, crime has been declining, but according to a study conducted by Chapman University, Americans don’t feel any safer than they used to. Our research revealed there are many cities in the U.S. where crime remains a major concern.
A Look at the National Crime Trend
The number of reported violent crimes, which include murder, robbery, rape and aggravated assault went from 5.06 per 1,000 citizens in 2000 to 3.67 per 1,000 citizens in 2013. That’s a decrease of nearly 30 percent in 13 years. Additionally, the number of violent crimes reported to the FBI during the first six months of 2014 was less than the number reported during the first six months of 2013. Comparing the two periods, rapes and robberies declined 10 percent, murders declined six percent, and aggravated assaults went down by nearly two percent. Every area of the country reported a down-turn in violent crime during the first six months of 2014, but at seven percent, the Midwest enjoyed the most impressive decrease. The Northeast reported a six percent decline in violent crime, and the South and West each reported roughly three percent.
Property crimes, which include burglary, larceny-theft, arson and motor vehicle theft have also declined. In 2000, 36.18 incidents of property crime were reported per 1,000 citizens; in 2013, the number dropped to 27.30 incidents per 1,000 citizens. When we put the most recent FBI crime data side by side with data from the same period last year, we noted that the number of reported burglaries dropped by 14 percent, and larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft each declined by nearly six percent. Property crime decreased 12 percent in non-metropolitan counties across the country and by nine percent in metropolitan counties.
As with violent crime, all four of the nation’s regions experienced a decline in reported property crimes. At 12.5 percent, the Midwest enjoyed the most significant reduction, followed by the Northeast at almost eight percent, and six percent in the South and West.
Crime Has Declined, but Remains a Significant Concern On average, the 30 most dangerous cities in America have a violent crime rate of 14.27 incidents per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of 106.68 incidents per 1,000 people. Keep in mind the national average is 3.67 incidents of violent crime per 1,000 residents and 27.30 incidents of property crime per 1,000 residents.
How We Established the Most Dangerous Cities in America To identify the 30 most dangerous cities in America, we looked at cities with a population of 10,000 or more in 2013 and analyzed the most recent FBI Crime Report statistics. Specifically, we evaluated the number of reported Violent Crimes (murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and forcible rape) and reported Property Crimes (burglary, arson, motor vehicle theft, and larceny-theft). Then, we determined the chance of each crime happening out of 1,000 people.
Not every law enforcement agency in the nation reported complete data to the FBI. If there’s a city you think should be on our list but isn’t, it may be because the FBI did not receive complete crime data, which means we removed it from consideration.
These are the 30 most dangerous cities in America. 1. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Violent Crimes per 1,000: 16.57 Property Crimes per 1,000: 159.61
2. Tukwila, Washington Violent Crimes per 1,000: 8.29 Property Crimes per 1,000: 167.42
3. Emeryville, California Violent Crimes per 1,000: 12.67 Property Crimes per 1,000: 158.52
4. Lumberton, North Carolina Violent Crimes per 1,000: 17.54 Property Crimes per 1,000: 139.87
5. Florida City, Florida Violent Crimes per 1,000: 28.43 Property Crimes per 1,000: 111.77 . . . 25. Anderson, South Carolina Violent Crimes per 1,000: 10.36 Property Crimes per 1,000: 90.15 . . .
Law enforcement officers do their best to protect us, but they’re often working with limited resources and can’t be everywhere at once. Whether you live in a quiet suburb or a bustling downtown, it’s important to take responsibility for your safety and security. Become aware of what crime is taking place in your community and learn how to protect yourself and your family. When it comes to securing your home, installing a monitored home security system will make your house three times less likely to be burglarized. Use our system finder to find a monitored home security system that meets your needs and budget.