How much should I read into Crime Maps

WorriedAboutCrime

Hi,

I am a FTB and am hoping to buy my first home soon. I don't know the area well (different part of the country) but where I am wanting to buy seems to be a pleasant area on the suburbs of a city.

One estate is quite new (about 5 years old) and the houses range from £400K+ to flats at about £100K. There also seem to be some "Affordable Housing" houses some of which I think are SO and some are rent through HA.

I was a bit worried about HA - but am I just being prejudice? I had a look at the crime map and it seems that the estate has a couple of Anti Social Behaviour crimes each month, but not a lot else. Occasional (once a year) burglary and vehicle crime.

I don't know if these are high stats or not. I had a look at some stats for streets that I know and they seem to be afflicted by crime too, but I thought they were OK. Is crime just a fact of life? Should I worry about HA houses nearby (across the road on an adjacent street to where I want to be)? Should I just stop looking at the crime map?

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks,

Yorkie1

If your username is accurate, and you are prone to worry about crime, I think you should stop looking at the crime maps! It's like a hypochondriac researching on the infonet - you will always find something that concerns you!

If there are just a few incidents, on a level which appears similar to other places you are more familiar with, then I'd accept it as such.

Fire_Fox

Welcome! Crime maps are interesting if you have something to compare them to, it's definitely worth looking at them. IMO the type of crime is as important to look at as the amount - muggings or sexual attacks would freak me out as a female for example.

We have no burglaries (secure apartment blocks) but loads of theft (shoplifters) and some drunk and disorderly because I live in a city centre. There is certainly crime everywhere unless you live in Buckingham Palace or the like!!

What do the HA properties look like, well cared for or overgrown gardens like a scrap yard?

breadlinebetty

WorriedAboutCrime wrote: »

Hi,

I am a FTB and am hoping to buy my first home soon. I don't know the area well (different part of the country) but where I am wanting to buy seems to be a pleasant area on the suburbs of a city.

One estate is quite new (about 5 years old) and the houses range from £400K+ to flats at about £100K. There also seem to be some "Affordable Housing" houses some of which I think are SO and some are rent through HA.

I was a bit worried about HA - but am I just being prejudice? I had a look at the crime map and it seems that the estate has a couple of Anti Social Behaviour crimes each month, but not a lot else. Occasional (once a year) burglary and vehicle crime.

I don't know if these are high stats or not. I had a look at some stats for streets that I know and they seem to be afflicted by crime too, but I thought they were OK. Is crime just a fact of life? Should I worry about HA houses nearby (across the road on an adjacent street to where I want to be)? Should I just stop looking at the crime map?

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks,

I don't think anywhere in the UK (or the world) has zero crime. Even if you live out in the sticks miles from anywhere, there's always the possibility you could be burgled, murdered...:eek: I'm not trying to scare you - and it is rare - but crime can happen anywhere.

Having said that, there are hotspots where more crime occurs. Some housing estates can be notorious for having drug dealers, crack houses etc......and with that comes theft, stealing, shoplifting etc.....not nice:(

If there's a sense of deprivation in the area: scruffy houses, dirty streets, blocks of LA flats with security buzzers and gangs hanging about...rubbishy shops/bookmakers etc...then chances are you're more likely to have residents who have little money and are more inclined to rob or commit other crimes.

Wherever you're thinking of moving to, besides checking the crime stats, it's prudent to make trips there during week days and evenings, and at weekends too.

arthurdick

There is certainly crime everywhere unless you live in Buckingham Palace or the like!!


well, yeah, true apart from the michael fagan incident, but i don't think it affected her household insurance too much..:o

breadlinebetty

arthurdick wrote: »

There is certainly crime everywhere unless you live in Buckingham Palace or the like!!


well, yeah, true apart from the michael fagan incident, but i don't think it affected her household insurance too much..:o

Good point!

A lot of petty pilfering has gone in BP, too. My goodness, they've even had to start putting out plastic spoons at garden parties, as people were pinching the silver ones...............:(

arthurdick

ha ha well said betty.. i forgot about that

agrinnall

breadlinebetty wrote: »

Good point!

A lot of petty pilfering has gone in BP, too. My goodness, they've even had to start putting out plastic spoons at garden parties, as people were pinching the silver ones...............:(

Betty... Buck Pal..... surely it can't be......:question:

Miss_Ratty

Crime maps are just that, and they are accurate in so far as they show reported crime (actual crime may be lower or higher, usually higher). I would not use it in isolation though, if you do look on it, check back the previous 12 months, areas can get spates of burglaries or asb that falsely make an area seem crime ridden, where actually one person was responsible for them all and has been caught/moved on. Also look at the type of crime, like FireFox says. There are lots of factors which can affect rates and even things like a little old lady ringing up every day to report asb when it's actually just well natured kids being a bit rowdy on a village green.

Two things are just as important, firstly, as your name suggests, you seem vulnerable to this sort of thing...maybe it's just a name you created for this post, but honestly, nowhere is crime free! If it is that concerning, you should speak to your gp about it, if it has become obsessive. What is it like where you live now? Have you compared crime rates there? I do and am often shocked at how crime ridden some areas are that are actually pretty safe, or feel it!

Secondly, you should visit any area and see what it is like, especially at night (not when it is raining as criminals don't seem to like the rain either!), when the secondary kids break up from school, during Hols etc to get a good idea of what it's like at different times. Take a walk about and see how safe you actually feel. X

Nan_Dingle

I was a bit worried about HA - but am I just being prejudice?

No, you're right to be worried. HA tenants could be lovely this week, then a 'shameless' family moves in next week and the area goes to hell with kids necking cider in the street, torching cars as they are 'bored' and acting as a magnet for drug dealers.

They'll know their 'rights' backwards, and as their females are perpetually pregnant for the CB they can't be evicted.

Yorkie1

Nan_Dingle wrote: »

No, you're right to be worried. HA tenants could be lovely this week, then a 'shameless' family moves in next week and the area goes to hell with kids necking cider in the street, torching cars as they are 'bored' and acting as a magnet for drug dealers.

They'll know their 'rights' backwards, and as their females are perpetually pregnant for the CB they can't be evicted.

I just love this forum for the unprejudiced, unstereotyped responses you get ...