For long-term residents of York, Pennsylvania, it may come as a surprise that Neighborhood Scout ranks York City as 199 out of the 200 most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania.
Neighborhood Scout is a popular real estate website that helps people choose a suitable area of residence; a city with low rankings would logically divert potential householders. Is it possible that this rating will deter future residents?
Downtown York has dealt with riots, drugs, and various other criminal activities for decades, causing many shootings, stabbings, robberies, and assaults. Those who have lived in the area for a long time know there are dangerous areas in York CIty.
City-data.com shows York’s crime rates dropping from 655.8 in 2004 to 579.5 in 2012; yet these numbers are drastically higher compared to other cities. For example, West York’s average crime rate is 166.9 while York’s is 579.5. While the rates are dropping, the crimes are not going away.
Spotcrime.com, which shows the type of crimes present in York represented by a helpful visual, suggests that arrests (mostly for drugs) are the heaviest problem.
Sophomore Michael Kirk and junior Cecilia Vu both said that they feel York is a fairly safe city, so is York’s rating being overexaggerated from outsiders’ points of view?
Ashleigh Mackin, a junior who has been living in York for nine years, said, “I thought York was a relatively dangerous city but I didn’t think it was that bad. It’s kind of concerning but it’s something I can’t control.”
The truth is that crime will never cease to exist, and in some areas it is inevitable. The most that inhabitants can do is use common sense and trust their police force. Most of the crimes committed in York are not life-threatening, so in conclusion, its rating as 199 out of the 200 most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania is nothing to worry about.
Photo taken from spotcrime.com