Atlanta is the nation's second least safe city, according to an independent analysis of FBI crime statistics that's been disputed by some experts.
The ranking, compiled by the Web site Real Clear Politics, was derived by dividing the total crimes detailed in the FBI's report by city population. Atlanta's per-capita crime rate measured at 16 percent.
"Determining whether a city is safe or not is not as easy as that," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which has representatives from law enforcement agencies nationwide.
"That's a very simplistic approach."
The annual FBI statistics, released last week, have been a mixed bag for Atlanta. The positive: Violent crime decreased 8.3 percent in 2008 compared with 2007, with 672 fewer such incidents.
Property crimes, however, rose 7.6 percent in Atlanta; nationwide, a 1.6 percent decrease was reported — the first time property crime fell since 2003. Burglaries and larcenies were both on the rise locally, the FBI said.
Whether perception or reality, crime has become a major concern for Atlantans, and it's emerged as the leading issue in the upcoming mayoral election.
"That's certainly what a lot of Atlantans I've talked to have felt," said Kyle Keyser, director and co-founder of Atlantans Together Against Crime. "They feel like it's dangerous, regardless of what neighborhood you live in."
After Memphis, with an 18 percent crime rate, Atlanta, San Antonio, Detroit and Milwaukee ranked as America's least safe cities, according to the Real Clear Politics analysis.
The safest? New York City, with a per-capita crime rate hovering at 4.2 percent. The rest of the list, in order: San Jose, Calif.; Los Angeles; San Diego; El Paso, Texas; Honolulu; Denver; Boston; Las Vegas; and Louisville, Ky., which has a 10 percent per-capita crime rate.
But even among those cities, some have questioned the rankings.
"Until those numbers come back to us from 2008, we know we have a decrease in the number of crimes in El Paso," said El Paso Police Department spokesman Daniel Petry, in an interview with KFOX-TV. "Just to what extent, we won't know until we get that back."
On its official Web site, the FBI cautions against using its stats to compare which cities are safe or not.
The head of Atlanta's Police Foundation said he's more worried about future results.
The city had 1,784 officers in 2008 — "the most officers we ever had," said David Wilkinson, president and CEO of the APF. "That is why the city had a good year last year with crime statistics. Since that time, with budget cuts and police furloughs, we're in a very dangerous situation right now."
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Police Chief Richard Pennington could not be reached for comment Sunday.
— Staff writer Megan Matteucci contributed to this article.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
