By the TSC Staff
June 10, 2009

How safe is your home town?

Cities in the US grew safer last year while small towns became more dangerous, according to new FBI crime statistics.  Violent crime nationwide dropped by 2.5 percent in 2008.  Property crimes also fell by 1.6 percent.  Cities with more than 1 million people saw murders fall by 4.3 percent; cities with 500,000 to 1 million people saw murders fall by nearly 8 percent.  Yet in towns with fewer than 10,000 residents, murders rose 5.5 percent, rape increased 1.4 percent, and robbery 3.9 percent.

Nationwide, murder and manslaughter dropped 4.4 percent in 2008, the AP reports.  Aggravated assault declined 3.2 percent, forcible rape decreased 2.2 percent, and robbery dropped 1.1 percent. The country also saw a huge drop in car thefts — more than 13 percent.

The western region of the country saw the biggest declines, with a 4.2 percent drop in property crime and a 3.4 percent drop in violent crime. The Northeast saw a slight increase in property crime, which rose by 1.6 percent.

Where does your city rank?  And how can you protect yourself and your family?

 #1 New York

#2 San Jose

 #3 Los Angeles

#4 San Diego

#5 El Paso

#6 Honolulu

#7 Denver

#8 Boston

#9 Las Vegas

#10 Louisville

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For more information on protecting yourself from burglary, motor vehicle theft, carjacking, and a variety of common crimes please take a look at these helpful resources from the Florida Attorney General's office.

For more information on keeping your children safe from crime, please take a look at this article from Parents.com.

For more information on surviving street crime, please take a look at this practical article: Secrets of Survival.