Tucson SAFETY (2014, crime rate, how much)

[Keira A]

Hi everyone,

I'd like to ask how you judge safety in Tucson. According to the information I've found, the crime rate is really high and I'm wondering how much it affects everyday life. Also, I'm surprised that most houses are low and they don't even have fences or window bars. Do you know why people don't put them?

Specifically, can anyone say how safe North University/Jefferson Park zones are? They are close to the university zone, but it seems that crime might be common there as well.

Regarding public transport, do you think it's safe and reliable?

Thank you for sharing!

[tijlover]

Project yourself with fearlessness, and you'll be safe just about anywhere. Show fear, and you're more likely to become a victim.

82 trips to Tijuana from Las Vegas in 22 years, staying over for long weekends, walking around downtown Tijuana and the "dangerous" Zona Norte District until 4-5am all alone, never a problem. If you see a few shady characters walking down the street, speed up your walking and walk right towards them with fearlessness and watch them scatter.

Take a lesson from a fearless ferret! To watch my fearless ferret hightail it toward a big German Shepherd at a park and watch the dog back away, there's a lesson to be learned there, and learn it well.

I live in Midtown, 6 years, I walk my ferret early morning hours on these darkly lit streets, I never felt any fear at all, any time. The homeless people are the those I fear the least, and if you have time, talk with them, very interesting to talk to.

[grmi66]

If you stay away from a rough crowd, the chances of getting hit with serious crime is pretty low. That area does get hit with a lot of petty, nuisance crime that generally gets unreported. An unlocked car door might result in someone rifling through your stuff looking for spare change. A bike left out in the open (even if locked) will probably disappear.

My adult daughter lives in the center of Jefferson Park and hasn't had any issues. That area tends to be the area where grad students and un-tenured professors live. It's a college neighborhood, but not as loud and noisy as neighborhoods more popular with undergrads.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Keira A

Hi everyone,

I'd like to ask how you judge safety in Tucson. According to the information I've found, the crime rate is really high and I'm wondering how much it affects everyday life. Also, I'm surprised that most houses are low and they don't even have fences or window bars. Do you know why people don't put them?

Specifically, can anyone say how safe North University/Jefferson Park zones are? They are close to the university zone, but it seems that crime might be common there as well.

Regarding public transport, do you think it's safe and reliable?

Thank you for sharing!

I rode the bus at least twice a week from 2014-2020 and have probably been on every bus route in the city. I witnessed three assaults in and around Ronstadt Center downtown. The bus terminal downtown is one of Tucson's largest open drug mart, especially in the summer months. Laos Center which is down on Irvington near 6th Ave is a little better as there is generally SOME TPD presence which is generally absent downtown.

The Tucson bus drivers, represented by the Teamsters, have gone on strike against Suntrans twice in the last decade. It was not for economic issues. It was because the bus drivers were concerned for their safety as they were getting attacked while they were trying to operate the bus.

I no longer take the bus around Tucson, preferring to drive.

In my younger days, I worked in the housing projects of Detroit and St. Louis among other cities. While I am not making a direct comparison, Tucson is a city that you need to be very aware of your surroundings, especially in the area of the University.

[stephenMM]

Yes, the crime is high. It totally depends on where you are of course, but it happens. Compared to Albuquerque, NM, Tucson is Mayberry RFD though. South Tucson has more crime and I never liked it over there. It just had a feel to it, and I experienced some issues simply going through it on the bus. Not for me.

The last place I lived in Tucson (marooned during COVID lock downs) was a good area on Lee St just a few blocks off Speedway and Tucson. It felt safe there and it was convenient to just about everything. We used to walk through the streets at midnight up to the Stop n Rob store, never any issues. Go down to Grant though and things fell off a bit.

One thing I never got used to was how people went in their homes and never visited. I'm from the South, which is the exact opposite of Tucson in that regard. My first month in Little Rock, I knew more people than in the 6 or 7 years I lived in Tucson over the course of 4 or 5 stays! That's what always drove me out, people mostly want you to leave them alone. Here, complete strangers wave and holler at me, "Nice bike!" You can just stop and talk to almost anyone.