TN crime stats

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by kydc

So even rural counties around Knoxville would have considerable crime issues?

There is a lot of drug action in rural areas, with the attendant property crime. I wouldn’t live in most rural areas - crime being one factor, but to me, lack of infrastructure like reliable broadband or cellular service and lack of access to decent retail are bigger factors.

Cocke County has a well deserved reputation for crime corruption - avoid. The city of Crossville is in a similar position.

[Dave_n_Tenn]

I'm in Blount Co. Pretty dang peaceful if'n you ask me.

[firemediceric]

Originally Posted by jchometeam

Well you mentioned Newport, and I will say that Cocke County is unlike anywhere else. No way in the world that I would live there.

I've heard from another on here, maybe is was Serious Conversation, that Cocke County and Hawkins County are two areas he would never choose.

[AnotherBravesFan]

Also interested in this thread, as I have been researching TN for possible relocation if I lose my health insurance here. Agree with those curious as to why crime stats seem to be very high in areas touted for retirees (e.g., Cookeville, Crossville). Thank you to all who have responded.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by AnotherBravesFan

Also interested in this thread, as I have been researching TN for possible relocation if I lose my health insurance here. Agree with those curious as to why crime stats seem to be very high in areas touted for retirees (e.g., Cookeville, Crossville). Thank you to all who have responded.

I don't think Cookeville is anywhere nearly as bad as, say, Crossville or Newport. Cookeville is a college town and there will be some crime (mostly drugs/alcohol/property) related to that. Otherwise, from my limited time there, it's pretty typical.

Crossville is home to some golfing communities that would ostensibly attract wealthier retirees. I don't know why the city is so bad. Newport is terrible because that county (Cocke) is terrible.

Again, the vast, vast majority of this stuff is drug, domestic, and already among people who know each other. There is some random property crime. If I look at my local "busted" every week, you're going to see many of the same people arrested, again and again.

As long as you aren't living in a place that looks like trouble, you're not likely to find it.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by AnotherBravesFan

Also interested in this thread, as I have been researching TN for possible relocation if I lose my health insurance here. Agree with those curious as to why crime stats seem to be very high in areas touted for retirees (e.g., Cookeville, Crossville). Thank you to all who have responded.

Keep in mind that crime stats are reported as per-capita, as in per resident. This means that places such as vacation towns, college towns, and economic hubs typically show higher crime rates since their daytime populations (when most crimes occur) are much higher than their resident populations. Cookeville's daytime population nearly doubles as it's a college town and also the economic engine of the region. Vacation towns like Gatlinburg are hit particularly hard, as the resident population might only be 5,000 but they have 9 million annual visitors.

And then there are places like Newport, as SC mentioned above, which just have a history of being havens for certain kinds of crime that's been perpetuated through the years for whatever reason. Some of it is because of drugs, or poverty, a mistrust of "outsiders," or any combination of the above.

But by and large, crime in these smaller towns is rarely random and probably 99% of the time is committed by people who knew the victims. I've lived in the Cookeville area for 7 years, and I don't know anyone who's been affected by any kind of crime at all except for one friend whose nephew from Crossville was caught selling drugs at his job at a pet store in Cookeville. Trust us, the crime stats for most of these towns (specifically Cookeville and Crossville, since you mentioned them) do NOT reflect accurately on the quality of life and safety of those towns.

[AnotherBravesFan]

Thank you, Serious Conversation & JMT, for your responses and insights... very helpful.

[Wileykid]

Originally Posted by JMT

But by and large, crime in these smaller towns is rarely random and probably 99% of the time is committed by people who knew the victims. I've lived in the Cookeville area for 7 years, and I don't know anyone who's been affected by any kind of crime at all except for one friend whose nephew from Crossville was caught selling drugs at his job at a pet store in Cookeville. Trust us, the crime stats for most of these towns (specifically Cookeville and Crossville, since you mentioned them) do NOT reflect accurately on the quality of life and safety of those towns.

Just to tag on to this. I retired to Cookeville from a long career as a LEO. I toured extensively around the Cookeville and surrounding area before I bought here, and talked to several of the current officers in the area. The crime here is not any worse then most any town this size. Actually it is better, and I would not have bought in an area I was not comfortable with, as I could go anywhere.

I can say the same for Crossville, as my old partner at work retired, bought a house in Fairfield Glade, and is in Crossville all the time. He says the same for any crime.