United States: Crime and Threats to Safety

CRIME AND THREATS TO SAFETY Crime Overview       Crime Rates by City      Precautions by Venue       Criminal Gang Activity Overview The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in its Annual Uniform Crime Report for 2011, continues to record a statistical drop in both violent and nonviolent crime in the US as a whole. This trend has continued for five years. The US Census Bureau reports an annual 4.2 violent crimes per 1000 population nationwide; property crimes are recorded at 30 per 1,000 population. Nevertheless, alertness to one's surroundings is needed in any US city. As in any country, high property values generally correlate to low crime rates, and a city with an overall low crime rate may have dangerous neighborhoods; New York, Los Angeles, and Boston are examples. In the safest areas, even petty theft is not very common, while in parts of a few US cities, appalling levels of crime prevail, creating a frightening atmosphere marked by derelict buildings, barred windows, and few pedestrians.  Crime Rates by City Figures are given for the top US cities by population, with the addition of Orlando, Anaheim, and Miami, included because of their popularity as destinations. The numbers indicate annual reported crime rates per 1,000 population. Violent crime encompasses robbery, aggravated assault, rape, and murder. Property crimes tallied are burglary and theft, including motor vehicle theft. Cities with violent crime rates above 10 per 1,000 are shown with a gray background. City Population (1,000) Size Rank Property Crimes Violent Crimes Anaheim, California 336 53 24 3.5 Atlanta, Georgia 420 30 62 11.5 Austin, Texas 790 12 62 5.2 Baltimore, Maryland 621 21 46 15.1 Boston, Massachusettes 618 22 33 9.9 Charlotte, North Carolina 731 16 50 7.2 Chicago, Illinois 2,696 3 42 11.6 (est.) Columbus, Ohio 787 13 65 7.1 Denver, Colorado 600 25 35 5.8 Detroit, Michigan 714 17 56 19.9 El Paso, Texas 649 18 30 4.6 Fort Worth, Texas 741 14 50 5.9 Honolulu, Hawaii 375 48 37 2.8 Houston, Texas 2,099 4 53 11.2 Indianapolis, Indiana 830 9 58 12 Jacksonville, Florida 822 10 52 8.3 Las Vegas, Nevada 584 27 28 7.4 Los Angeles, California 3,793 2 24 6.3 Louisville, Kentucky 741 15 43 6 Memphis, Tennessee 647 19 71 18.1 Miami, Florida 400 44 50 11.2 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 595 26 58 11 Nashville, Tennessee 627 20 48 11.4 New York, NY 8,175 1 17 5.5 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 580 29 60 9.3 Orlando, Florida 242 78 70 10.1 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1,526 5 36 12.4 Phoenix, Arizona 1,446 6 41 5.5 Portland, Oregon 584 28 47 5.5 San Diego, California 1,307 7 25 4.5 San Francisco, California 805 11 43 7.4 San Jose, California 946 8 24 3.6 Seattle, Washington 609 23 58 6.4 Washington, DC 602 24 45 11.3 Precautions by Venue ON THE STREET Use the same common sense traveling that you would at home. If you come from a country with an especially low crime rate, you may need to use extra caution in urban areas of the United States, especially in crowded subways, train stations, elevators, tourist sites, marketplaces, festivals, and crime-ridden neighborhoods. Follow these basic precautions: