For what it’s worth, there was a map of four shootings/stabbings in the S-Times yesterday. At least a few of the areas I was surprised about. I was surprised also to see the shooting a month or so ago in Queen Anne.

Btw I’ve known people who lived in St. Louis, most of the serious crime is in concentrated ghetto areas. Same basic thing with Tacoma, still lots of nice areas.

Also keep in mind that the rankings are based just on reports of “murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.” A lot of stuff that affects quality of life — drug activity, fights, disturbing the peace, etc. — is not included. Plus the relevance of the included items will vary depending on your situation (Are you a man with a nice car living in an area with lots of auto theft, or a young woman with no money who walks to work alone at night? The statistics for individual types of crime will not be equally relevant to these two.)

That said, these statistics are collected and analyzed by an objective third party. Just because a place seems safe to you (perhaps because you live in a nicer area, or simply haven’t been personally affected by a crime) doesn’t mean the entire city is safer overall than others. Simiarly, your individual experience (first or second hand) of crime does not mean the whole city is a rat hole either.

I been living in Queen Anne for the past 7 years. 7 vehicles have stolen from our “secured” parking garage. Dozens of vehicles have had their windows broken, stereos stolen, contents stolen, etc. One vehicle had it’s door skin cut open to gain access to the electric window switch, and another one had it’s doors destroyed with a crowbar while the criminals attempted to pry their way in. The car had to be towed to a place where the doors could be opened because of the extreme damage.

Four units in my building have been broken into; every entry door in this building has been bent, dented and scratched from repeated break-in attempts. The elevator key-way has been destroyed multiple times. When I walk on the property, I hear the familiar crunch of of hypodermic needles breaking underfoot; prostitutes and drug users occupy ever honey bucket on every construction site in this area. There are people living in tents amongst the blackberry bushes across the street…

When I lived in Boston, I never had to deal with this sort of thing.

“violence: You have to look at differences within the city. Except for a couple of minor hotspots, North Seattle is almost as safe as any place in the US.”

This is one of the most uninformed opinions I have ever read. I am aware of numerous shootings, beatings, and other violent crimes in North Seattle. Remember when a bus driver was shot and the bus he was operating careened over the side of the Aurora Bridge and landed on a condominium? I could site dozens of examples of violent crime in this area.

Washington is a “shall issue” state. Take advantage of this and protect yourself and your family. Your skull is no match for a crowbar.

2. Re: violence: You have to look at differences within the city. Except for a couple of minor hotspots, North Seattle is almost as safe as any place in the US. The central district is a different story.

Seattle is lower than average for Murder and Rape, but way higher for Property Crimes..

Car theft Is 2.62 times the National Average

Burgulary Is 1.74 times the National Average.

I don’t know what kind of car you drive, but in six years, I’ve only known one guy who had his car stolen here — it was a Kia (go figure).

On the other hand, I’ve had more than one of the Friendly Locals bash into my car while it was parked, and then drive off without leaving so much as a note. In one case, a Friendly Local grandmother did so much damage to my car in a hit-and-run that the police officer actually went to her home to make the citation (I had the presence of mind to get her plate number before she took off).

Hmm…perhaps I’m not afraid of the right people….

If only your car could talk… I rarely worry about where I’m at, but leaving my car anywhere unfamiliar after dark is asking to never see it or the contents again.

Perhaps it’s the methodology — if they truly compare crime rates to their national averages, then they’re lumping Armpit, Nebraska and NYC together in the same pool. It might make more sense for them to compare crime rates in same-size or same-density regions….I would imagine that Seattle is considerably less safe than Armpit, but more safe than Chicago.