Is your city safe or it is crime infested?

The safety of residents in the United States varies from city to city. Some cities are quite safe with friendly neighborhoods and stable businesses. Others are rather unsafe with residents at risks of crimes such as murder, burglary, and rape. It is important for US residents, families, investors and professionals to be able to identify safe cities where they can live, invest, work and raise their families.

The safest cities in America

The following cities are considered the safest in America. Some factors considered in putting the list together range from violent crimes, drug crimes, sex crimes. These include incidents of violent crime, motor vehicle accidents, drug use and other measures of safety. Investors, families, new residents and most other people love these cities as they can safely raise their families and invest. Here are some of the safest cities in America.

Bellevue, Washington

Plano, Texas

Honolulu, Hawaii

Irvine, California

Toledo, Ohio

Some of the most dangerous cities in America

These cities are labeled dangerous due to the high crime levels reported as well as safety issues such as drunk driving, drug usage, homelessness and so on. Here is a list of some of these cities.

Detroit, Michigan

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Oakland, California

St. Louis, Missouri

Memphis, Tennessee

A violent crime takes place in the USA every 26 seconds. Americans are more likely to tweet about incidents like drive-by shooting or meth labs and rapes on social media site Twitter than other users. Common crime tweets include shooter. Killed, killing, drive by, robbed, robbery, stolen, stealing, gunshots and so on. This information has been well tabulated and clearly explained on the ABODO blog.

Current trends in crime in the US

Certain factors are very clear regarding crime in America. According to information from the FBI, some types of the offenses have increased while others have gone down. Basically, about 1.2 million incidents of violent crime are reported across the US since 2014. They include robberies, rapes, homicides and aggravated assaults. The police often report such crimes.

The most common is aggravated assault. It accounts for 63% of all violent crimes reported. Robberies accounted for 28% of all crimes reported in the USA, rape at 7.2% while murder accounts for 1.2% of all crimes reported by law enforcement agencies.

Incarceration in the US

The USA has the highest number of incarcerated individuals in the whole world. There were over 2.2 million adults incarcerated in US federal and state prisons and county jails by 2014. This represents a figure of 1 in 110 adults incarcerated in America, the highest in the world.

Incarceration is the most common form of punishment and rehabilitation in America. However, the “tough on crime” approach taken in the 1980s has seen American jails filled with non-violent offenders. The prison system has failed to rehabilitate these individuals and most come out worse than they initially were.

Judges have largely been subjected to or exposed to legislation that limits their discretion on sentencing. Most guidelines compel judges to issue a minimum sentence, mandatory sentencing, and hardly any non-custodial sentencing. This has seen more and more people wind up in prison for minor, non-violent offenses. Read more about incarcerations in America here.

How to stay safe and avoid crime in America

According to the police, it takes three things for a crime to take place. These are a criminal, a victim, and an opportunity. It is important to take safety precautions and reduce the opportunity for criminals to avoid being a victim.

It is advisable always to plan ahead. For instance, travel with a friend rather than alone and always ensure you are on time at least for the last bus or train. It is also important to inform family or friends of your whereabouts. Stay in well-lit areas and always look at your surroundings. If any suspicious activity is noted, always walk away and alert someone.

It is advisable to avoid danger spots such as deserted streets, poorly lit parking lots, and desolate areas. These are ideal areas for criminals to strike. It is advisable to try and get to public places with lights, people, and stores and so on. More safety tips can be found here.