High crimes: 10 military towns are among the country's most dangerous
Filed under: Technology, People
Military bases and the neighborhoods surrounding them often seem like the ultimate refuge of middle- American values. Run with military efficiency and discipline, the well-trimmed yards, cleanly-paved roads and orderly layouts convey an ideal image of life as it should be: safe, peaceful and friendly.However, as the horrific shootings in Fort Hood demonstrate, this perception of structure and normalcy may be deceptive. According to a study by NeighborhoodScout, which offers neighborhood-by-neighborhood crime analyses, some of America's military towns have crime levels that place them among the country's most dangerous neighborhoods. While the danger in these areas is much more heavily skewed toward property crimes like vandalism and theft than violent crimes like murder or rape, the statistics are startling.
Topping the list of America's ten worst military neighborhoods is Hawaii's Schofield Barracks. The area has an estimated 759 property crimes per 1,000 people -- more than 20 times the national average of 34 per 1,000 residents and fifteen times Hawaii's average. As a result, NeighborhoodScout ranks it as one of the worst neighborhoods in the country. Yet, Schofield Barracks's crime wave is largely comprised of property crimes, not violent crimes. While its property crime rate is more than twenty times the national average, its violent crime rate is (a comparatively minor) 49% higher than the median. This suggests that the large crime jumps in the area are more likely to involve robbery, theft, and motor vehicle theft.
Similarly, the second-ranked neighborhood, the Patton Road area near Alabama's Redstone Arsenal, has an estimated property crime rate of 691 per 1,000 residents. The remaining eight military neighborhoods -- Indiana's Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, an area near Texas' Lackland AFB, Mississippi's Meridian Naval Air Station, a predominantly-military neighborhood located near South Carolina's defunct Myrtle Beach AFB, California's Presidio of Monterey, a predominantly-military neighborhood located near Louisiana's now-defunct England AFB, Washington's Ault Field, and Hawaii's Kaneohe Station -- range between 410 and 155 property crimes per 1,000 residents.
So why do these ten neighborhoods have such high crime rates? According to Andrew Schiller, founder and president of NeighborhoodScout, the answer may lie in the demographics of the American military. Military bases tend to have high concentrations of young, single men living together in very close quarters. Schiller has also found similar property crime spikes in other areas -- like college student neighborhoods -- that have large concentrations of single males living together. One possible explanation for these surges in crime rates could be that young men, separated from their parents, wives, families and communities, may feel more temptation to commit certain types of crimes.
Ironically, NeighborhoodScout reports that military neighborhoods as a whole tend to be considerably safer than most of the country. America has 300 neighborhoods in which at least 20% of the population is in the military. In these areas, the median property crime rate is 32 per 1,000 residents, which is 7% below the national average. The violent crime rate is even more striking: at 1.55 crimes per 1,000 residents, it is an impressive 67% lower than the average.
To find out how NeighborhoodScout came up with these numbers, read its methodology. Also, to see its disclaimer, click here.
Note to our readers: An earlier version of this story suggested that the military neighborhoods located near the former Myrtle Beach AFB and England AFB were related to these defunct bases. However, as some commenters have pointed out, these bases have been closed since the 1990s. We have clarified in the story that NeighborhoodScout included the neighborhoods because their population was more than 20% military. As such, we chose to include them in our list of America's most dangerous military neighborhoods.
Fed stalls on Chinese bank deal, costs taxpayers $1.7 billion
Dell in a handbasket: Should founder Michael Dell resign?
TARP saved the banking system, but failed at everything else
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
11-16-2009 @ 7:15AM
Dan Neels said...
I would not put stock in this story. Myrtle Beach AFB has been closed for 15 years.
Reply
11-16-2009 @ 10:40PM
Ms. Jackson said...
Very true...many or should I say all but one of the Air Force Bases have been closed since 1995 or before. Myrtle beach closed in 1995 for sure.
11-17-2009 @ 12:03PM
Sally said...
The article very plainly states that fact. Can't you read?
11-17-2009 @ 1:06PM
Tyrone V. Hoofendorfer said...
I also would not put stock in this story. They are talking about "Military towns." San Antonio has over a million people, but in the story, and in the San Antonio picture, they outline an area that is NOT a military area, with a stated population of a little of 2,000. Yes it is not a great part of town, but it is several miles away from Lackland AFB, and has NOTHING to do with it. Even in the story, the idiot author wrote "an area near Texas' Lackland AFB." What city of over 1 million people does not have a high crime area? STUPID, STUPID STORY!!!!
11-16-2009 @ 8:20AM
Richard Ballard said...
Local civilian "business as usual" concepts sometimes conflict with local military priorities. I am reminded of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (sure, lock homes) novella "The Valley Of Fear". Richard Ballard www.myspace.com/rjballard
Reply
11-16-2009 @ 10:49AM
S. Davis said...
Ditto for Mr. Neels's comment. But, if the research statistics were pulled merely by zip code, new Myrtle Beach development community on the grounds of the long gone AFB has a real problem too.
Reply
11-16-2009 @ 10:53AM
marilyn said...
my husband was stationed at fort belvoir virginia just outside ofDC some50 years ago. i was wonder why that was not endanger since it is so close to DC?
Reply
11-17-2009 @ 12:31PM
K-k-k-kira said...
Easy. It was 50 years ago when people had morals, and he was your husband. Most of these bases named are where single sailors are based at. Get a bunch of single men together and theres bound to be a fight. Married sailors normally get sent to different bases which is why you see less fighting, notice how Norfolk wasnt on that list? Because married sailors normally get sent to Norfolk [and yes singles ones as well but mainly married] Married military dont get into fights as much as single ones because they have more to lose in the long run.
11-17-2009 @ 2:47PM
Susie said...
I agree. We lived on base at Andrews AFB right outside of DC in Maryland and the crime there was HORRIBLE! We had a stabbing right across the street from us in base housing. There was a drug dealing bust down the street from us in base housing. A criminal jumped the fence after a high speed chase off base and hid in an empty house on-base for over 10 hours. We moved to a safer neighborhood in Virginia after only a year of dealing with the crime on and around Andrew AFB.
11-16-2009 @ 11:05AM
Mike Schmidt said...
Take a look at the racial make up of the population in these areas too Im sure that has something to do with it. Heavily populated NON white inhabbitant areas seem to add to these problems far greater than onw would think, Oh but we cant consider that right being it's would ofcourse be TOO politically incorrect, far as im concerned it needs to be addressed and that not being expressed out ignorance. I've had to live in areas with these cockroaches' and it doe's add to the statistics.
Reply
11-16-2009 @ 9:03PM
TS said...
Wow and what exactly are you doing to help the situation. Don't always assume it's other individuals at fault that are non-white, I believe it is due to a mixter of individuals. Most Americans of all ethnicities would not except this behavior. And I agree with some of the other comments, the crime rate may be higher due to the area the bases were establised in.
11-17-2009 @ 12:24AM
james henderson said...
its not the non whites in our area.its the young military. (all races)Their even robbing banks.
11-17-2009 @ 12:26PM
Inkling said...
I absolutely agree with James Henderson's statement. The military is loaded with criminals. Housing areas on bases are high crime. The people that are being recruited come from areas where crime is an everyday event. They grow up around it and find that once they join the military it is very easy to make less suspecting people in the military their prey. Everybody knows when everybody gets paid and that is the highest time of theft. Many military families trust others in the military and open their doors to other military members because they believe they are supposed to be honorable and honest, and many young soldiers are not. Military bases and ships are cities within cities with a very small military police force. I was stationed at a training facility in San Diego many years ago. There were rapes, riots, major theft, beatings, muggings, etc, with very little done about it. I now live near Fort Stewart, GA, and hear a lot about theft and shooting crimes committed in the housing area on the base and surrounding area. I'm so thankful I chose not live anywhere near it.
11-16-2009 @ 12:36PM
traveler3568 said...
Nothing has changed in Hawaii. Lived in Mililani Town which is right at Scoefield Barrachs and up the mountain from Kaeonhe Marine Corp Station. Too little work, drugs, and no positive reinforcement for children are top problems in Hawaii. Acceptable standard of laziness contributes to many of these problems. Wonderful area, hard place to live.
Reply
11-16-2009 @ 1:25PM
Mike said...
What this article is forgetting to mention is that it is not the military that is causing the problems. Most military towns have large populations of Blacks. It is these young blacks that cause most of the crimes in the neighborhood. I am a retired military man and have lived all over ther world. I do not Know why they are causing the crimes but they are cause
Reply
11-16-2009 @ 10:42PM
Ms. Jackson said...
I'm stationed in a Northern Tier and blacks are not a large population nor do the blacks cause the crimes at this Northern Tier base. Crime is crime no matter what color skin the offender has.
11-17-2009 @ 12:36AM
Martha said...
You are being racist.
11-17-2009 @ 12:16PM
Shazzman said...
Are u frigging serious said "you where in the Military" Must been when it was all white which was never.People like u are special and I should not feel sorry for you . But I am going to pray. Crime is Crime and yes they are committed by ..hey Hold On .. Dude,all kinds of people ,I guess just like the Guy who shot all the soliders and people at Ft hood I know it is Obama fault no erybody gets the blame . No we have to many laws that govern our homes and lives.I believe we as American people need to come together and get our Children and our Communities back . Maybe it is already to late. But the racist remarks Ilove them blame everything on Black Folks .. get a clue dude . Just shows how IGNORANT people still are , and have great day.
11-16-2009 @ 1:42PM
David said...
I don't belive you wasted space with this trash
Reply
11-16-2009 @ 1:53PM
Cooper said...
I've got to go with Mike on this one. We moved out of a predominantly military town - the entire town, not just a neighborhood - where there was a significant correlation between demographics and crime rates. Same is very true for the Patton Rd. area near Redstone Arsenal; given the overall situation, a connection between minority population and crime in that area is undeniable.
Another factor is that many of the low-lifes that the military kicks out tend to linger around their last duty station.
Reply