During the first presidential debate, Donald Trump made a point of citing violence in Chicago but failed to recognize Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s new plan for fighting violent crime in the city. The plan is broken into three categories: enforcement, investment, and prevention. But will it actually be effective?

The enforcement step of the plan has received the most attention as it involves hiring almost 1,000 new beat cops, detectives, and supervisors (and outfitting them with new squad cars and equipment). Emanuel has pledged not to raise taxes to pay for the expansion of the police force but it is unclear how he plans to fund these new hires. Hiring will begin as soon as January, so the approximately $135 million necessary to fund this wave of new police hires will have to show up quickly if Emanuel wants to make good on his promise.

Although adding officers to the force is an admirable step for a city where the police force has been stretched thin, there are doubts regarding whether Emanuel’s new hires will be enough to seriously impact Chicago. It is not so much the number of officers who are available as it is their training and interaction with the community that will shape attempts to curb violent crime throughout the metropolitan area. Besides concerns that the plan will be ineffective, critics have also stepped forward to argue that this plan gives Mayor Emanuel too much power, as it interferes with the independence of the police force. These objections are largely linked to the establishment of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which would have the power to investigate alleged police misconduct to a much greater extent than in the past. The mayor will appoint most of the employees of this investigative agency, which has led community members to question its impartiality and ability to break away from the failures of the Independent Police Review Authority, the agency that it will be replacing.

The mayor unveiled his plan during a speech which was notable not for its rhetoric about improving policing but for what it lacked–there were virtually no references to improving the racial divide between the police force and minority communities. The mayor did not address the issues with predictive policing or this summer’s protests against police brutality in Chicago. The majority of both homicide perpetrators and victims in Chicago are black, and gang membership in the city is primarily concentrated among black and Latino populations. Although one should never jump to the same simplistic conclusion that Trump used in the first debate, implying that all minority citizens of Chicago live in violent squalor, it is undeniable that the black community has seen the largest share of violence in the city. Mayor Emanuel touted mentorship programs and family interventions as solutions to violence in Chicago neighborhoods but he did not go any further to discuss how community leaders can dissuade young people from joining gangs, buying guns, or being injured during violent confrontations with police officers. Community policing is a two-way street: police officers have to be trained but there needs to be community outreach as well. If neither side is being provided with directions and tools on how to improve their relations, will anything really change in Chicago?

Jillian Sequeira

Jillian Sequeira was a member of the College of William and Mary Class of 2016, with a double major in Government and Italian. When she’s not blogging, she’s photographing graffiti around the world and worshiping at the altar of Elon Musk and all things Tesla. Contact Jillian at Staff@LawStreetMedia.com

The post Chicago’s Incomplete Plan to Combat Violence appeared first on Law Street.

Alaska is the most dangerous state in the nation for the second year in a row according to the latest violent crime data from the FBI. Despite a slight decrease in its violent crime rate from 640 per 100,000 in 2013 to 635.8 per 100,000 in 2014–the most recent year for which the FBI provides data–Alaska maintains its number one spot, followed by Nevada (635.6) and Tennessee (608.4). Law Street’s third annual slideshow of the Safest and Most Dangerous States ranks all 50 states from most dangerous to safest and details the violent crime statistics for every city in the country with a reported population of 25,000 or more. Each state’s qualifying cities are listed from highest to lowest rate of violent crime per 100,000 people. The category of violent crime is comprised of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES OVER 200,000
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES UNDER 200,000
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 10 SAFEST CITIES OVER 200,000

GO DIRECTLY TO YOUR STATE:

AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT,VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

Alaska: #1 Most Dangerous State | 635.8 Violent Crimes/100,000 People

Courtesy of Travis via Flickr

Kevin Rizzo

Kevin Rizzo is the Crime in America Editor at Law Street Media. An Ohio Native, the George Washington University graduate is a founding member of the company. Contact Kevin at krizzo@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Slideshow: America’s Safest and Most Dangerous States 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

Crime across the United States has generally trended down over the years despite what you may gather every time you turn on the evening news. Not sure how your home compares? Check out the interactive map below, which details the latest violent crime statistics from the FBI by metro area. The darker the red, the higher the violent crime rate. All rates below are calculated per 100,000 people. Click here to read more information about Metropolitan Statistical Areas and these rankings.

READ MORE: 2015 CRIME RANKINGS FOR THE NORTHEAST, THE MIDWEST, THE WEST, AND THE SOUTH

READ MORE: SLIDESHOW: TOP 15 MOST DANGEROUS METRO AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES

If you are on mobile, view in landscape mode for best results.

The Office of Management and Budget began delineating Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the 1950s in order to provide an established level of analysis for government reports and statistics. MSAs are characterized as having an urban core with more than 50,000 people and surrounding areas that have close social and economic integration. The FBI does not provide data on all of the 388 MSAs defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Click here to see the FBI’s explanation for why all MSAs are not included. MSAs are organized by counties or their equivalent. All statistics in Law Street’s Crime in America metro rankings are presented as rates per 100,000 people, and they are taken from the FBI’s annual Crime in the United States publication section on metropolitan statistical areas. To see the FBI’s data click here.

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Research and analysis by Law Street’s Crime in America Team: Kevin Rizzo, Alexis Evans, Chelsey Goff, Anneliese Mahoney.

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL CRIME IN AMERICA 2015 COVERAGE, INCLUDING THE SAFEST & MOST DANGEROUS CITIES AND STATES.

Kevin Rizzo

Kevin Rizzo is the Crime in America Editor at Law Street Media. An Ohio Native, the George Washington University graduate is a founding member of the company. Contact Kevin at krizzo@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Crime in America 2015: Interactive Map of Crime by Metro Areas appeared first on Law Street.

The Vineland-Bridgeton New Jersey metro area is the number one most dangerous metro in the Northeast United States in 2014. According to the latest crime data from the FBI, which covers calendar year 2013, the Vineland-Bridgeton metro had a violent crime rate of 540 per 100,000 people. Bangor, Maine metro ranks at #1 safest in the Northeast with a violent crime rate of 91 per 100,000 people. All of the Top 10 Safest Metros in the Northeast were located in Maine, Pennsylvania, and New York. More than 16 percent of the violent crimes that occurred in the United States overall were committed in the Northeast, which holds nearly 18 percent of the country’s population. Check out the rankings below to see the Top 10 Safest and Top 10 Most Dangerous metro areas across the Northeast. All rates below are calculated per 100,000 people. Click here to read more information about Metropolitan Statistical Areas and these rankings.

READ MORE: 2015 CRIME RANKINGS FOR THE MIDWEST, THE WEST, AND THE SOUTH

READ MORE: SLIDESHOW: TOP 15 MOST DANGEROUS METROS IN THE UNITED STATES

READ MORE: CRIME MAP OF THE UNITED STATES

TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS METROS IN THE NORTHEAST

#1 Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #42
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 540
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 26
– Robbery: 241
– Aggravated Assault: 270
Population: 158,281

The Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ metro area includes: Cumberland County in New Jersey, as well as the cities of Vineland and Bridgeton.

#2 Springfield, MA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #54
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 522
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 52
– Robbery: 145
– Aggravated Assault: 320
Population: 628,316

The Springfield, MA metro area includes: Hampden and Hampshire counties in Massachusetts, as well as the the city of Springfield.

Springfield, Massachusetts is ranked the #6 most dangerous city with a population under 200,000 in 2015.

#3 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #63
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 498
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 36
– Robbery: 198
– Aggravated Assault: 257
Population: 6,036,138

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area includes: the Metropolitan Divisions of Camden, New Jersey; Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester counties in Pennsylvania, as well as the city of Philadelphia; and Wilmington, Delaware.

#4 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #87
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 444
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 14
– Robbery: 188
– Aggravated Assault: 239
Population: 276,095

The Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ metro area includes: Atlantic County in New Jersey, as well as the cities of Atlantic City and Hammonton.

#5 Barnstable Town, MA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #90
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 436
– Murder: 0.9
– Rape: 41
– Robbery: 36
– Aggravated Assault: 358
Population: 215,847

The Barnstable Town, MA metro area includes: Barnstable County in Massachusetts, as well as the city of Barnstable.

#6 Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #95
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 430
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 21
– Robbery: 154
– Aggravated Assault: 250
Population: 1,135,074

The Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagra Falls, NY metro area includes: Erie and Niagara counties in New York, as well as the cities of Buffalo, Cheektowaga Town, and Niagara Falls.

#7 Worcester, MA-CT Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #96
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 422
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 31
– Robbery: 82
– Aggravated Assault: 308
Population: 852,899

The Worcester, MA-CT metro area includes: Windham County, Connecticut; and Worcester County and the city of Worcester in Massachusetts.

#8 Trenton, NJ Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #103
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 411
– Murder: 11
– Rape: 8
– Robbery: 186
– Aggravated Assault: 206
Population: 369,292

The Trenton, NJ metro area includes: Mercer County and the city of Trenton in New Jersey.

#9 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #116
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 390
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 10
– Robbery: 156
– Aggravated Assault: 221
Population: 19,936,617

The New York-Newark-New Jersey, NY-NJ-PA metro area includes: the Metropolitan Divisions of Dutchess County-Putnam County, New York; Nassau County-Suffolk County, New York; Newark, NJ-PA; and New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ, as well as the cities of New York and White Plains in New York; and Newark, Jersey City, New Brunswick, and Lakewood Township in New Jersey.

Newark, New Jersey is ranked the #9 most dangerous city with a population over 200,000 in 2015.

#10 New Haven-Milford, CT Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #122
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 385
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 19
– Robbery: 167
– Aggravated Assault: 195
Population: 808,809

The New Haven-Milford, CT metro area includes: New Haven County in Connecticut, as well as the cities of New Haven and Milford.

New Haven, Connecticut is ranked the #3 most dangerous city with a population under 200,000 in 2015.

TOP 10 SAFEST METROS IN THE NORTHEAST

#1 Bangor, ME Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 91
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 15
– Robbery: 37
– Aggravated Assault: 36
Population: 153,530

The Bangor, ME metro area includes: Penobscot County in Maine, as well as the city of Bangor.

#2 State College, PA Metro Area

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Violent Crime: 93
Murder: 0
Rape: 24
Robbery: 15
Aggravated Assault: 54
Population: 155,409

The State College, PA metro area includes: Centre County, Pennsylvania, as well as the city of State College.

#3 Glens Falls, NY Metro Area

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Rate/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 98
– Murder: 0.8
– Rape: 13
– Robbery: 10
– Aggravated Assault: 75
Population: 128,459

The Glens Falls, NY metro area includes: Warren and Washington Counties in New York, as well as city of Glens Falls.

#4 Gettysburg, PA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 99
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 25
– Robbery: 17
– Aggravated Assault: 57
Population: 101,443

The Gettysburg, PA metro area includes: Adams County in Pennsylvania, as well as the city of Gettysburg.

#5 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 118
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 12
– Robbery: 15
– Aggravated Assault: 91
Population: 121,663

The Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area includes: Jefferson County in New York, as well as the city of Watertown.

#6 Lewiston-Auburn, ME Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 144
– Murder: 0.9
– Rape: 43
– Robbery: 34
– Aggravated Assault: 67
Population: 107,469

The Lewiston-Auburn, ME metro area includes: Androscoggin County in Maine, as well as the cities of Lewiston and Auburn.

#7 Portland-South Portland, ME Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 146
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 29
– Robbery: 34
– Aggravated Assault: 81
Population: 518,977

The Portland-South Portland, ME metro area includes: Cumberland, Sagadahoc, and York counties in Maine, as well as the cities of Portland and South Portland.

#8 Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 152
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 23
– Robbery: 53
– Aggravated Assault: 73
Population: 151,646

The Chambersburg-Waynesburo, PA metro area includes: Franklin County in Pennsylvania, as well as the cities of Chambersburg and Waynesboro.

#9 Kingston, NY Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 162
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 17
– Robbery: 29
– Aggravated Assault: 114
Population: 181,804

The Kingston, NY metro area includes Ulster County in New York, as well as the city of Kingston.

#10 Elmira, NY Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 170
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 8
– Robbery: 42
– Aggravated Assault: 120
Population: 89,040

The Elmira, NY metro area includes: Chemung County in New York, as well as the city of Elmira.

The Office of Management and Budget began delineating Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the 1950s in order to provide an established level of analysis for government reports and statistics. MSAs are characterized as having an urban core with more than 50,000 people and surrounding areas that have close social and economic integration. The FBI does not provide data on all of the 388 MSAs defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Click here to see the FBI’s explanation for why all MSAs are not included. MSAs are organized by counties or their equivalent. All statistics in Law Street’s Crime in America metro rankings are presented as rates per 100,000 people, and they are taken from the FBI’s annual Crime in the United States publication section on metropolitan statistical areas. To see the FBI’s data click here.

—

Research and analysis by Law Street’s Crime in America Team: Kevin Rizzo, Alexis Evans, Chelsey Goff, Anneliese Mahoney.

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL CRIME IN AMERICA 2015 COVERAGE, INCLUDING THE SAFEST & MOST DANGEROUS CITIES AND STATES.

Kevin Rizzo

Kevin Rizzo is the Crime in America Editor at Law Street Media. An Ohio Native, the George Washington University graduate is a founding member of the company. Contact Kevin at krizzo@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Crime in America 2015: Top 10 Safest & Most Dangerous Northeast Metros appeared first on Law Street.

The Memphis, Tennessee metro area tops the list of the South’s most dangerous metros. According to the latest data from the FBI, which covers calendar year 2013, Memphis had a violent crime rate of 993 per 100,000 people. Alternatively, the safest metro area in the South, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, had a violent crime rate of just 78 per 100,000 people. Virginia made the strongest showing with five of its metro areas ranking among the Top 10 Safest in the South. Overall, 41.4 percent of the violent crimes that occurred in the United States were committed in the South. The South is home to more than 37 percent of the nation’s population. Check out the rankings below to see the Top 10 Safest and Top 10 Most Dangerous metro areas across the South. All rates below are calculated per 100,000 people. Click here to read more information about Metropolitan Statistical Areas and these rankings.

Read More: 2015 crime rankings for the Northeast, the Midwest, and the West

Read More: Slideshow: Top 15 Most Dangerous Metros in the United States

Read More: Crime map of the United States

TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS METROS IN THE SOUTH

#1 Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #1
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 993
– Murder: 10
– Rape: 46
– Robbery: 257
– Aggravated Assault: 680
Population: 1,347,803

The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area includes: Crittenden County, Arkansas; Benton, DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, and Tunica Counties, Mississippi; and Fayette, Shelby, and Tipton Counties in Tennessee, as well as the city of Memphis.

Memphis, Tennessee is ranked the #3 most dangerous city with a population over 200,000.

#2 Jackson, TN Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #2
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 925
– Murder: 8
– Rape: 44
– Robbery: 129
– Aggravated Assault: 744
Population: 130,702

The Jackson, TN metro area includes: Chester, Crockett, and Madison Counties in Tennessee, as well as the city of Jackson.

#3 Hammond, LA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #3
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 875
– Murder: 10
– Rape: 46
– Robbery: 126
– Aggravated Assault: 694
Population: 124,208

The Hammond, LA metro area includes: Tangipahoa Parish in Louisiana, as well as the city of Hammond.

 #4 Odessa, TX Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #4
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 806
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 39
– Robbery: 120
– Aggravated Assault: 645
Population: 147,448

The Odessa, TX metro area includes: Ector County in Texas, as well as the city of Odessa.

#5 Alexandria, LA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #5
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 794
– Murder: 8
– Rape: 31
– Robbery: 122
– Aggravated Assault: 634
Population: 154,678

The Alexandria, LA metro area includes: Grant and Rapides Parishes in Louisiana, as well as the city of Alexandria.

#6 Lawton, OK Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #11
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 712
– Murder: 10
– Rape: 68
– Robbery: 127
– Aggravated Assault: 507
Population: 133,449

The Lawton, OK metro area includes: Comanche and Cotton Counties in Oklahoma, as well as the city of Lawton.

#7 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #16
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 676
– Murder: 8
– Rape: 41
– Robbery: 176
– Aggravated Assault: 452
Population: 723,132

The Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area includes: Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski, and Saline Counties in Arkansas, as well as the cities of Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Conway.

#8 Sumter, SC Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #17
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 672
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 47
– Robbery: 99
– Aggravated Assault: 519
Population: 108,703

The Sumter, SC metro area includes: Sumter County in South Carolina, as well as the city of Sumter.

#9 Lubbock, TX Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #19
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 658
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 39
– Robbery: 130
– Aggravated Assault: 487
Population: 300,769

The Lubbock, TX Metro Area includes: Crosby, Lubbock, and Lynn Counties in Texas, as well as the city of Lubbock.

 #10 Albany, GA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #20
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 655
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 24
– Robbery: 142
– Aggravated Assault: 484
Population: 157,365

The Albany, GA metro area includes: Baker, Dougherty, Lee, Terrell, and Worth Counties in Georgia, as well as the city of Albany.

TOP 10 SAFEST METROS IN THE SOUTH

#1 Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 78
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 23
– Robbery: 15
Aggravated Assault: 39
Population: 150,699

The Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY metro area includes: Hardin, Larue, and Meade Counties in Kentucky, as well as the city of Elizabethtown.

#2 Harrisonburg, VA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 128
– Murder: 0.8
– Rape: 26
– Robbery: 13
– Aggravated Assault: 88
Population: 129,689

The Harrisonburg, VA metro area includes: Rockingham County in Virginia, as well as the city of Harrisonburg.

#3 Owensboro, KY Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 138
– Murder: 0.0
– Rape: 48
– Robbery: 45
– Aggravated Assault: 46
Population: 116,530

The Owensboro, KY metro area includes: Davies, Hancock, and McLean counties n Kentucky, as well as the city of Owensboro.

#4 Bowling Green, KY Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 144
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 44
– Robbery: 47
– Aggravated Assault: 53
Population: 163,437

The Bowling Green, KY metro area includes: Allen, Butler, Edmonson, and Warren counties in Kentucky, as well as the city of Bowling Green.

#5 Gainesville, GA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 156
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 24
– Robbery: 37
– Aggravated Assault: 92
Population: 187,290

The Gainesville, GA metro area includes: Alachua and Gilchrist counties in Georgia, as well as the city of Gainesville.

#6 Staunton-Waynesboro, VA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 167
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 44
– Robbery: 21
– Aggravated Assault: 101
Population: 119,067

The Saunton-Waynesboro, VA metro area includes: Augusta County in Virginia as well as the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.

#7 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 175
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 44
– Robbery: 11
– Aggravated Assault: 119
Population: 179,521

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford VA metro area includes: Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski counties in Virginia as well as the cities of Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford.

#8 The Villages, FL Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 175
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 14
– Robbery: 23
– Aggravated Assault: 136
Population: 104,608

The Villages, FL metro area includes: Sumter county, Florida.

#9 Winchester, VA-WV Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 186
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 46
– Robbery: 31
– Aggravated Assault: 106
Population: 131,881

The Winchester, VA-WV metro area includes: Frederick County and the city of Winchester in Virginia, and Hampshire County and the city of Winchester in West Virginia.

#10 Lynchburg, VA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 191
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 32
– Robbery: 35
– Aggravated Assault: 122
Population: 256,835

The Lynchburg, VA metro area includes: Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell counties in Virginia, as well as the cities of Bedford and Lynchburg

The Office of Management and Budget began delineating Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the 1950s in order to provide an established level of analysis for government reports and statistics. MSAs are characterized as having an urban core with more than 50,000 people and surrounding areas that have close social and economic integration. The FBI does not provide data on all of the 388 MSAs defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Click here to see the FBI’s explanation for why all MSAs are not included. MSAs are organized by counties or their equivalent. All statistics in Law Street’s Crime in America metro rankings are presented as rates per 100,000 people, and they are taken from the FBI’s annual Crime in the United States publication section on metropolitan statistical areas. To see the FBI’s data click here.

—

Research and analysis by Law Street’s Crime in America Team: Kevin Rizzo, Alexis Evans, Chelsey Goff, Anneliese Mahoney.

Click here to see full Crime in America 2015 coverage, including the Safest & Most Dangerous Cities and States.

Kevin Rizzo

Kevin Rizzo is the Crime in America Editor at Law Street Media. An Ohio Native, the George Washington University graduate is a founding member of the company. Contact Kevin at krizzo@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Crime in America 2015: Top 10 Safest & Most Dangerous Metros in the South appeared first on Law Street.

The Anchorage, Alaska metro area is the number one most dangerous metro in the West. According to the latest crime data from the FBI, which covers calendar year 2013, the Anchorage metro had a rate of 794 violent crimes per 100,000 people. This is compared to the safest metro in the West, Logan, Utah, which had 55 violent crimes per 100,000 people. California topped the list of Most Dangerous Metros with five cities on the list, while Utah had four metro areas in the West’s Top 10 Safest. Of the total number of violent crimes across the country, 23.5 percent occurred in the West, which is home to 23.5 percent of the nation’s population. Check out the rankings below to see the Top 10 Safest and Top 10 Most Dangerous metro areas across the West. All rates below are calculated per 100,000 people. Click here to read more information about Metropolitan Statistical Areas and these rankings.

READ MORE: 2015 CRIME RANKINGS FOR THE MIDWEST, THE SOUTH, AND THE NORTHEAST

READ MORE: SLIDESHOW: TOP 15 MOST DANGEROUS METROS IN THE UNITED STATES

READ MORE: CRIME MAP OF THE UNITED STATES

TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS METROS IN THE WEST

#1 Anchorage, AK Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #6
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 794
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 133
– Robbery: 168
– Aggravated Assault: 488
Population: 314,553

The Anchorage, AK metro area includes: Anchorage Municipality and Matanuska-Susitna Borough in Alaska, as well as the city of Anchorage.

#2 Albuquerque, NM Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #9
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 742
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 64
– Robbery: 137
– Aggravated Assault: 536
Population: 902,627

The Albuquerque, NM metro area includes: Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties, as well as the city of Albuquerque.

#3 Stockton-Lodi, CA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #13fa
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 703
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 19
– Robbery: 208
– Aggravated Assault: 469
Population: 708,679

The Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area includes: San Joaquin County as well as the cities of Stockton and Lodi.

#4 Fairbanks, AK Metro Area*

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Overall Rank: #14
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 682
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 101
– Robbery: 118
– Aggravated Assault: 463
Population: 34,741

The Fairbanks, AK metro area includes: the North Star Borough in Alaska as well as the city of Fairbanks.

*A large portion of the North Star Borough is policed by Alaskan State Troopers, which report their data as one agency. As a result, data is only available for a portion of the Fairbanks metropolitan area.

#5 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #15
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 678
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 42
– Robbery: 233
– Aggravated Assault: 397
Population: 2,025,864

The Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV metro area includes: Clark County in Nevada, as well as the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson

#6 Madera, CA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #18
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 666
– Murder: 9
– Rape: 39
– Robbery: 86
– Aggravated Assault: 532
Population: 152,772

The Madera, CA metro area includes: Madera County in California as well as the city of Madera.

#7 Pueblo, CO Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #21
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 655
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 105
– Robbery: 135
– Aggravated Assault: 412
Population: 162,300

The Pueblo, CO metro area includes: Pueblo County in Colorado as well as the city of Pueblo.

#8 Redding, CA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #22
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 642
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 47
– Robbery: 103
– Aggravated Assault: 487
Population: 179,250

The Redding, CA metro area includes: Shasta County, California as well as the city of Redding.

#9 Merced, CA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #26
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 588
– Murder: 10
– Rape: 30
– Robbery: 87
– Aggravated Assault: 461
Population: 264,498

The Merced, CA metro area includes: Merced County, California as well as the city of Merced.

#10 Bakersfield, CA Metro Area

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Overall Rank: #32
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 576
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 20
– Robbery: 149
– Aggravated Assault: 400
Population: 862,202

The Bakersfield, CA metro area includes: Kern County, California as well as the city of Bakersfield.

TOP 10 SAFEST METROS IN THE WEST

#1 Logan, UT-ID Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 55
– Murder: 0.8
– Rape: 25
– Robbery: 0
– Aggravated Assault: 29
Population: 129,858

The Logan, UT-ID metro area includes: Franklin County in Idaho; and Cache County in Utah, as well as the city of Logan.

#2 Provo-Orem, UT Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 70
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 27
– Robbery: 9
Aggravated Assault: 33
Population: 561,483

The Provo-Orem, UT metro area includes: Juab and Utah counties in Utah, as well as the cities of Provo and Orem.

#3 Albany, OR Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 81
– Murder: 0.8
– Rape: 15
– Robbery: 38
– Aggravated Assault: 28
Population: 119,155

The Albany, OR metro area includes: Linn County in Oregon as well as the city of Albany.

#4 Corvallis, OR Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 120
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 15
– Robbery: 29
– Aggravated Assault: 76
Population: 86,952

The Corvallis, OR metro area includes: Benton County, Oregon, as well as the city of Corvallis.

#5 St. George, UT Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 141
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 39
– Robbery: 12
– Aggravated Assault: 89
Population: 147,923

The St. George, UT metro area includes: Washington County in Utah as well as the city of St. George.

#6 Idaho Falls, ID Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 159
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 35
– Robbery: 17
– Aggravated Assault: 104
Population: 137,561

The Idaho Falls, ID metro area includes: Bonneville, Butte, and Jefferson counties in Idaho, as well as the city of Idaho Falls.

#7 Grants Pass, OR Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 164
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 13
– Robbery: 45
– Aggravated Assault: 102
Population: 83,162

The Grants Pass, OR metro area includes: Josephine County, Oregon as well as the city of Grants Pass.

#8 Ogden-Clearfield, UT Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 164
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 53
– Robbery: 30
– Aggravated Assault: 80
Population: 620,648

The Ogden-Clearfield, UT metro area includes: Box Elder, Davis, Morgan, and Weber counties in Utah, as well as the cities of Ogden and Clearfield.

# 9 Lewiston, ID-WA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 183
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 18
– Robbery: 34
– Aggravated Assault: 131
Population: 61,820

The Lewiston, ID-WA metro area includes: Includes Nez Perce County in Idaho as well as the city of Lewiston; and Asotin County, Washington.

#10 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA Metro Area

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Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 194
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 10
– Robbery: 72
– Aggravated Assault: 107
Population: 840,678

The Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area includes: Includes Ventura County, California, as well as the cities of Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, and Camarillo.

The Office of Management and Budget began delineating Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the 1950s in order to provide an established level of analysis for government reports and statistics. MSAs are characterized as having an urban core with more than 50,000 people and surrounding areas that have close social and economic integration. The FBI does not provide data on all of the 388 MSAs defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Click here to see the FBI’s explanation for why all MSAs are not included. MSAs are organized by counties or their equivalent. All statistics in Law Street’s Crime in America metro rankings are presented as rates per 100,000 people, and they are taken from the FBI’s annual Crime in the United States publication section on metropolitan statistical areas. To see the FBI’s data click here.

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Research and analysis by Law Street’s Crime in America Team: Kevin Rizzo, Alexis Evans, Chelsey Goff, Anneliese Mahoney.

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL CRIME IN AMERICA 2015 COVERAGE, INCLUDING THE SAFEST & MOST DANGEROUS CITIES AND STATES.

Kevin Rizzo

Kevin Rizzo is the Crime in America Editor at Law Street Media. An Ohio Native, the George Washington University graduate is a founding member of the company. Contact Kevin at krizzo@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Crime in America 2015: Top 10 Safest & Most Dangerous Metros in the West appeared first on Law Street.

For the second year in a row, Detroit, Michigan and Irvine, California are the Most Dangerous and Safest cities in the America, respectively. Law Street’s comprehensive analysis of the FBI’s latest Uniform Crime Report allowed us to rank the safest and the most dangerous big cities in the United States.

Click here to see the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities with populations over 200,000.

Click here to see the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities with populations under 200,000.

Click here to see the Top 10 Safest Cities with populations over 200,000.

Detroit has a violent crime rate of 2,072 per 100,000 people; Irvine has a violent crime rate of 48 per 100,000 people. Looking at those statistics alone begs the question: how could two sizable cities in the same country be so radically different?

At the end of the day it comes down to pretty much one thing: the economy. While there are significantly more factors that need to be taken into consideration when trying to figure out why one city is so crime-ridden and another so relatively safe, a lot of it boils down to the economy.

Detroit currently has an unemployment rate of 14.9 percent; Irvine’s is about 4 percent. Keep in mind that the national unemployment rate has dropped to 5.8 percent, which means that while Irvine is doing pretty well, Detroit is doing very, very poorly. In Detroit, 38.1 percent of the population is below the poverty line, in Irvine it’s just 11.4 percent.

In some ways, it seems that the two cities are from two different times in American history. Detroit was once a booming manufacturing city, home of the auto industry. But the problem is that it was really only the home of the auto industry. And when it first took on that characteristic, the process required way more people to make a car than it does now. There’s also the issue of foreign automakers surpassing American brands, and the 2008 financial collapse. Long, sad story short, Detroit has not been able to subsist on just one industry for a very long time, and it shows.

Compare that to Irvine, which in many ways is the epitome of the way our economy looks now. It’s smack dab in the middle of Southern California’s answer to Silicon Valley, with a heavy concentration on technology and startup culture. Irvine is a city that has taken advantage of the new industries providing jobs in the American market, much like Detroit did, but half a century later.

Detroit’s downfall is more troubling than just the economic woes–when the city started to decline and see mass unemployment, many of those who had the resources to do so got out. Over the last decade, Detroit’s population has fallen by approximately a quarter. It’s turned into a vicious cycle–people who have the resources to leave Detroit do so because of its poor economic condition and crime. Those with financial resources leaving make the city’s economy and budget problems worse, and they can’t pay for the kind of revitalization Detroit would need, or a police force to get the crime under control. So more people leave, and the cycle continues.

Put very simply,  Irvine is safer because it has the money coming in to be that way. In addition to its regular police force, the multiple universities located within city limits have their own police forces, leading to even more of a focus on safety. There are a lot of things that separate Detroit and Irvine, and makes one clock in as the most dangerous city in the country and the other the safest. At the end of the day one of the most convincing is the economy.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Detroit is the Most Dangerous City in America, Irvine the Safest appeared first on Law Street.

If you’ve been following Law Street’s Crime in America 2015 city crime rankings you might have one big question: where are Flint and Chicago? Flint, Michigan was the #1 Most Dangerous City with a population under 200,000 last year, and preliminary data from the FBI indicated that it would remain so this time around, and reporting on Chicago’s violent crime pervades American media. So where are Flint and Chicago on these lists?

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES WITH POPULATIONS OVER 200,000.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES WITH POPULATIONS UNDER 200,000.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 10 SAFEST CITIES WITH POPULATIONS OVER 200,000.

First let’s look at Flint. It’s not because it isn’t still really dangerous–it very much is. It comes down to its population, though, and if the city had just 59 more residents it would have easily maintained its #1 Most Dangerous City ranking over Little Rock, Arkansas. According to the FBI, Flint’s population decreased by 1,691 last year, putting the city just 59 residents shy of the 100,000-person threshold that Law Street uses to rank the most dangerous mid-sized cities.

Flint has a violent crime rate of 1,908 per 100,000 people, which far exceeds Little Rock’s violent crime rate of 1,407. Flint’s murder rate clocks in at 48 per 100,000, while Little Rock is only at 18 per 100,000. Flint’s population statistics speak for themselves as well: the median household income is just $26,339, and almost 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

If Flint had those 59 additional people it would definitely be the #1 Most Dangerous City in America–but that does not mean things aren’t getting better there. They absolutely are; this year’s crime statistics saw a dramatic decrease in violent crime in the city. Last year, Flint had a violent crime rate of 2,729 per 100,000 people, which means that its overall rate has dropped 30 percent. The murder rate dropped by quite a bit too, from about 62 per 100,000 people to 48 per 100,000 people. So while Flint is still incredibly dangerous, things are getting better there, just slowly.

Now to Chicago–another notable exception from the list of Most Dangerous Cities. The answer here is fairly simple. Chicago isn’t included in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report from which our data is curated. According to the FBI, Chicago under-reports its crime data, so the numbers are simply missing from the FBI report, making it impossible to rank the Windy City in a uniform way with its like-size counterparts.

While Law Street’s statistics are definitive and it’s interesting to look at what cities make the list, it’s also very interesting to see which cities are missing. Flint and Chicago are two notable examples for two very different reasons.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Flint and Chicago Are Still Dangerous Despite Absence From Rankings appeared first on Law Street.