Crime (Knoxville, Johnson City, Kingsport: real estate, 2015, low crime)

[dad2paisley]

We are looking to move to East Tennessee and all the towns we look into, I googled for crime stats and for the most part they are all up 40-43%. I even googled our area where we live same thing.
I went on my sites and they all said about the same. It's hard to believe. And the smaller the town the worst the stats get.
It's hard to find an area when these results are mentioned. I also checked out the local police too and have a few towns police on my twitter feed.

Just curious.

[Serious Conversation]

TN records each charge a person gets hit with as a separate crime. You can easily end up with multiple charges per offense. The rates will be higher than states that don’t record in a similar fashion.

In general, property crime in east TN is higher than most places, but it’s mostly crime of opportunity, and largely committed by people on drugs looking for drugs or something to sell/trade for drugs. Random violent crime is basically nil. Drug and domestic problems are high, but again, largely occur behind closed doors and don’t impact the public.

Johnson City and Bristol bat around the national average in terms of crime rate. Some places, like Newport, Crossville, Kingsport, and Hawkins County, are generally higher crime and I’d be very careful before locating somewhere like that.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

A few thoughts-from someone not yet a Tennessee resident (though we are waiting to close on a place in Del Rio, will be moving in September, and just returned from a 2 week stay);

Based on experiences in other areas, small towns and rural areas tend to, in actuality, be low-crime (obviously with exceptions). Residents of such areas expect to be treated decently by their neighbors, often people they have known their whole lives. As such, when a crime occurs, even something pretty trivial by urban standards, it gets reported. A similar crime in a urban area, might not be. For example, kids "M80ing" a mailbox is a big deal in a rural area, while such a minor property crime wouldn't be noted in a city. This tends to skew the statistics.

Urban areas like to "look down" on rural areas and promote anywhere rural as a crime-infested area rife with drugs. I hear that about where I'm moving....as well as where I live now. At my current location (very rural Idaho) I have great neighbors, all with good jobs and that would do anything for you. We leave the doors unlocked, have never had a single issue in 25 years living here, in spite of the fact that those in town say the countryside is filled with meth heads. I'm sure they are out there, but I've never directly encountered them or had an issue. Once again, when there IS crime, it gets reported. The nearest major urban area to me (now) is Spokane. Their property crime problem is so high the police don't even come out and interview the victims or take reports, let alone do any investigation, for property crimes. No report, no data, leads to lower reported rate.

I had the pleasure of meeting my (soon to be) next door neighbor in Del Rio-great family, had a nice, long conversation about a number of issues, also seemed like fantastic people. In fact, everyone I've met has been great, very friendly and welcoming. At least once I told them I was from rural Idaho and not NY or CA (kidding!)

What is the reaction or response of Tennessee residents to crime, especially violent or home invasion crimes? In my area, we have this...mentality. It goes, 20 acres, a rifle and a tractor-really don't need no sheriff. A bit of an exaggeration, but virtually every rural home is armed, and people take the right to defend themselves and their homes and families very seriously. I hope people in rural Tennessee have a similar mindset. That mentality tends to keep crime to a minimum.

I talked with a few people around the Knox area as well on my visit. While the violent crimes are well reported, from what I'm told, the vast majority are in black areas, with black perpetrators, and black victims, and with many of those crimes involving gangs or drugs. From what people told me, it's not something most people not in the drug trade or gangs need to be concerned with. Something the media doesn't typically report when sensationalizing a crime. Now-take this with a grain of salt-it's something I've been told, I don't base that on any personal experience. And it's a sad situation, not making light of it.

Anyway, I look forward to what others have to say, looking to learn myself. And REALLY looking forward to the move-met some wonderful people in TN.

[dad2paisley]

We are looking for rural area, not a lot of people and with possibly good views of the land and mountains. Not close to cites or towns. Low crime or none. We will have an alarm system at the new house just like where we live now. And of course we'll have our dogs.
Lot of the areas says crime is bad. Looking around Knoxville area. Where ever we wind up, it's gotta be safer then where we live now, Baltimore.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by dad2paisley

We are looking for rural area, not a lot of people and with possibly good views of the land and mountains. Not close to cites or towns. Low crime or none. We will have an alarm system at the new house just like where we live now. And of course we'll have our dogs.
Lot of the areas says crime is bad. Looking around Knoxville area. Where ever we wind up, it's gotta be safer then where we live now, Baltimore.

Here's your issue.

Many of the rural areas have a lot of issues with drug abuse and crimes related to drugs, and domestic issues - again, largely caused by drug abusers. That crime, while not in the public eye necessarily, can easily spill over into property crimes against people who have nothing to do with any of it.

Cocke County has developed a reputation, largely deserved, for crime and lawlessness. Here's a report from 2015 from the hometown newspaper that Newport, a small city, is the fifth most dangerous city in the state.

https://www.newportplaintalk.com/new...7964348c2.html

Here's an older report from 2006 going into the history of crime in Cocke County.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...t27-story.html

Virtually anywhere will be safer than Baltimore, but don't expect Mayberry.

[dad2paisley]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

Here's your issue.

Many of the rural areas have a lot of issues with drug abuse and crimes related to drugs, and domestic issues - again, largely caused by drug abusers. That crime, while not in the public eye necessarily, can easily spill over into property crimes against people who have nothing to do with any of it.

Cocke County has developed a reputation, largely deserved, for crime and lawlessness. Here's a report from 2015 from the hometown newspaper that Newport, a small city, is the fifth most dangerous city in the state.

https://www.newportplaintalk.com/new...7964348c2.html

Here's an older report from 2006 going into the history of crime in Cocke County.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...t27-story.html

Virtually anywhere will be safer than Baltimore, but don't expect Mayberry.

Not moving there. I checked their website and it looks like Baltimore. Esp the shooting at the pilot gas station.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by dad2paisley

Not moving there. I checked their website and it looks like Baltimore. Esp the shooting at the pilot gas station.

While Newport is an outlier on the wrong side of the rails, so are Hawkins County. Crossville. Kingsport.

I went on vacation to Miami in February. Kingsport's violent crime rate is basically equal to Miami, but property crime, per capita, is around 50% higher in Kingsport, TN than Miami, FL. When "small towns" like Kingsport have much, much higher property crime rates than Miami, these little cities have a big problem. People around here like to bury those truths - it wouldn't be good for the real estate business. But it's an issue.

C-D's own crime reports will support these claims.

Again, it's not likely to bother you if you're on the up and up, and avoid certain areas known for crime. The Idaho person is moving to Cocke County, which has a hellish reputation. It might be just what he wants. My guess is he'll have some crime related grumbles in a year.

[dad2paisley]

I am having 2nd thoughts about us moving. Where we live we have crime issues around us, so some of these areas in TN we aren't looking but it seems that every part of TN has issues. I wonder why? Baltimore is a poor city, everyone is moving out cause of murders keep getting worse, even at the inner harbor which use to be safe and near the baseball and football stadiums but now gangs there go after everyone, esp tourists. At least we know our issues and hate to move to an area and be in the same boat. Will do lots of research before we move and we visited TN 2 years ago and it seemed nice. But just visited friends in Sparta but not moving there, dog bands on certain breeds there.
Not moving if we do for 2 years, maybe these areas will get their act together. Probably not.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

The thread brings up a question I'm interested in. How harshly does Tennessee treat crime? Many states have gotten...insane, with criminals given no prison sentences for even violent crimes. Lots of cases where individuals with very long "rap sheets" are on the street, and you only hear about them when they commit another heinous crime. Some states won't even put criminals in jail on bail, others let criminals out so they didn't catch a cold over the last year. I'm wondering if TN is a "soft on crime" state or not. Thanks for any input you can offer.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by dad2paisley

I am having 2nd thoughts about us moving. Where we live we have crime issues around us, so some of these areas in TN we aren't looking but it seems that every part of TN has issues. I wonder why? Baltimore is a poor city, everyone is moving out cause of murders keep getting worse, even at the inner harbor which use to be safe and near the baseball and football stadiums but now gangs there go after everyone, esp tourists. At least we know our issues and hate to move to an area and be in the same boat. Will do lots of research before we move and we visited TN 2 years ago and it seemed nice. But just visited friends in Sparta but not moving there, dog bands on certain breeds there.
Not moving if we do for 2 years, maybe these areas will get their act together. Probably not.

Someone posted a link on another thread that I haven't been able to find. Supposedly Tennessee reports and classifies crimes differently-something about using a new reporting standard-the old one reported one incident as one crime even if multiple crimes were committed, while TN reports every crime charged as individual offenses, so you get multiple listings associated with one incident. Take that with a grain of salt-like I said, I can't find the link, but did see that mentioned a couple of times.