Idaho is on the National Crime List – fourth from the BOTTOM! Where are the worst states for crime and which ones are more like Idaho with low crime rates?
What's Behind the Crime Numbers?
Check out this article here from www.WorldPopulationReview.com about crime in the United States (plus one). My good friend sent this to me excited because Idaho is such a safe state! We all feel that sense of safety from living here, but it’s fun to see it in writing for all the world to see.
It’s funny… here’s Idaho in the pale-yellow signifying a very low-crime state. The other yellow, low-crime states are found up in the hyper-liberal New England area. Maybe total gun control and safe-place sanctuaries for criminals really does work to reduce crime? (Probably not because it didn’t work anywhere else in the country.)
The worst “state” on this list is Washington D.C. Was your first thought that they must have included the crimes committed by politicians? And at the lowest end of the chart, there’s Idaho… about two-thirds less crime than in the Nation’s Capital.
It turns out that reporting crime statistics to the FBI, who collects and disseminates the results, is a totally voluntary thing. As near as I can make out from the article (the editor apparently hadn’t had his coffee yet), 7,700 agencies didn’t report any crime data and nearly 4,000 only partially reported their data. New York City and Los Angeles are two cities mentioned as being deficient in their reporting… as are the states of California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Here’s an interesting list of “factors known to affect the amount and type of crime”. I have to say, I don’t understand how “Climate” impacts crime… New Mexico (#2 on the list) is hot, hot, hot and Montana and North Dakota (#21 and 22) are cold, cold, cold!
I do understand the part about “cultural factors… and religious characteristics”. That is what Idaho is! Idaho is not a culture of crime and depravity… Idaho IS a culture of good neighborly folks who respect others and their property.
Yes, a lot of Californians have moved to Idaho… and Idaho has very low crime.
Yes, a lot of Californians have moved to Washington, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona… all places with high crime.
Did California’s culture of crime migrate to all these other states? But why didn’t Idaho turn into a criminal cesspool?
Treasure Valley Dave's Thoughts
The crime rate is an indicator… yes, of crime… or a culture of crime. Honest low crime rates indicate a culture among the people where crime is just not part of their being… their life. Crime is not woven into their daily existence. When crime is confronted in Idaho, it’s detestable and shocking. But a high crime rate also indicates something as well; a sick culture where the spirits of good folks are crushed, where the criminal mentality is nourished and where politicians and community leaders use the opportunity of crisis to enrich themselves.
If you’re thinking of moving, consider the crime rate and what culture that indicates. Is that the culture you want to be a part of? If you want to know more about living in Idaho, just give us a call!
