Posted on 12/14/2021 1:23:37 PM PST by karpov
We recently decided not to add neighborhood crime data to Redfin.com. We were considering this because we’re very much focused on answering all the questions people have when they’re considering a home purchase, and we know that one of these questions is whether they’ll feel safe in a given home or neighborhood. But the data available don’t allow us to speak accurately to that question, and given the long history of redlining and racist housing covenants in the United States there’s too great a risk of this inaccuracy reinforcing racial bias. We believe that Redfin–and all real estate sites–should not show neighborhood crime data.
People Are Interested in Safety, Not Crime One big thing we learned through our research is that there’s real variety in how people define and evaluate safety, and that it doesn’t line up very well with purely crime-based data. When we survey people about what they want to know about a neighborhood, they define safety in a number of different ways: people variously say they care whether there’s trash on the street, care solely about violent crime, or care whether they are going to frequently see people who are homeless.
Reported Crimes May Not Accurately Reflect Actual Crimes Even if you narrow down to crime as an indicator of safety, there are reasons to doubt the usefulness of the data available. The most straightforward source of crime data is the Uniform Crime Report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which collects reported crimes from police departments across the country. Most crimes in the U.S. go unreported, however, and most reported crimes go unsolved. The fact that most crimes are missing creates a real possibility that the crimes that show up in the data set skew one way or another.
(Excerpt) Read more at redfin.com ...
I avoid any neighborhood with a Martin Luther King boulevard
Go talk to the local police department in the area you are considering.
That’s ok. Most everyone knows about https://www.city-data.com/
Just stop at a gas station mini mart. If the cashier is in a bullet proof glass cage, then you probably don’t want to move there
A distinction without a difference. Vagrancy and trash on the streets are crimes too, and will affect standard of living even more than the rarer crimes of violence.
Reported Crimes May Not Accurately Reflect Actual Crimes
In other words, it could be worse than we're saying but it can't be better.
They're urinating into a Force 5 gale. Those data are available elsewhere and will be consulted there. So why use a site where they're not available when you can use a site where they are?
How about let people decide for themselves which stats are pertinent? These types of sites are not shy about listing “best” cities, ALWAYS skewing towards college towns, because the assumption is that the best cities don’t have a lot of children and are geared towards single under-30s.
or the names of the city council members have a ring such as “Tashon” or “Latisha”. Ah that’s a no no. It’s bad enought hese clowns keep offering HOA, which is slightly below ghetto.
does Christian Taubman, the author of this liberal white guilt piece live in a ghetto hood? Just asking..
does Christian Taubman, the author of this liberal white guilt piece live in a ghetto hood? Just asking..
Avoid any neighborhood with a Paul Roberson recreational center
you just described every gas station mini mart in Chicago..
I avoid any city that has a MLK Boulevard
Of course crime data is relevant.
Indianapolis is getting that way
I think it’s important for people to know the truth about what goes on in neighborhoods. People are able to subscribe to crime reports based on zip codes if they so choose as well.
Yes, 100% agree.
It’s what I’ve been using to look for a home.
Of course, now homes are out of our price range, so... Great. At least I don’t habe to worry about that. I’ll just... Keep renting...
lol
A more subtle sign of a sane area is that the gas pump handles have that little metal piece which allows you to latch them on during use, to be automatically shut off when the tank is full. In crap neighborhoods, those are always removed.
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