| Utica is a little cold and a little far up in the Northeast. It has generally been a favorable part of the world for individuals that want to have a reasonable urban environment with a distinct Italian culture and rural energy. Yet, is Utica safe? Is it the place to be? High Grades and Low Grades Where does Utica excel and where does it fall short? Area Vibes offers grades in various categories, ranging from an F to an A+. Some grades do not immediately reflect on the crime, such as an A + score on amenities. Others are directly related to the crime rates in the city. For example, Utica has received a grade of an F for crime. Some categories are in the middle. For example, the city has received a score of an F on education. This has an indirect bearing on crime. If the education is poor, it will suggest a potential for high crime. High education will likely deter crime. The score of an F works in education works in conjunction with the F-score on crime. Neither grade is particularly encouraging, but a deeper look at the numbers will be necessary here. Utica did receive more favorable scores in weather and cost of living, receiving a C + and an A + respectively. If the weather is beautiful, criminals may be less inclined to commit criminal acts. Furthermore, fair cost of living means less initiative to commit a crime in the first place. All of these factors are intangibly related in one way or another. The weather will have an impact on crime. Education is linked to crime in a major way. These ratings offer a broad look at a city, but mean little when not compared to other neighboring areas and averages in the United States. It is worth looking at New York averages to see where crime, education, weather, cost of living, and other factors rest. A Look at the F The F grade in crime is especially perplexing and discouraging. It suggests some real problems in the city of Utica. Firstly, the murder rate is staggering. 6 murders occurred in Utica in the latest year, according to Area Vibes crime data. This is beyond distressing. This results in a rate of 9.8 per 100,000 people. This number means little when it is isolated. But, compared to the average, it is brutal. The state of New York has an average of 3.1 murder rate and the United States has an average of 4.9. This means that the rate of murder is exactly double that of any random city in the United States. It is over triple the state average. The numbers are grossly concerning, and really sheds a light on the crime problems of Utica. The numbers are not more encouraging elsewhere. In nearly every category of crime, the rate in Utica is higher than that of both the state and the United States average. Only in vehicle theft is the rate lower. Utica has a vehicle theft rate of 152 compared to the United States average of 220. This hardly outweighs violent crime, rape, and theft, which all average about double that of the United States average. Are the numbers more encouraging elsewhere? The easy answer is no, not in the slightest. Neighborhood Scout has provided Utica with a score of 8 out of 100. This suggests that Utica is no safer than about 92% of the cities in the United States and is in the bottom 10% percentile. Violent crime has hit 6.24 out of 1,000. This means that it is statistically shown that a violent crime will occur for about 6 people out of 1,000. Property crime will occur to nearly half of all people in Utica. The current rate rests at about 38%. The numbers are absolutely distressing. The Silver Lining Is there something positive to be gleamed from the discouraging crime rates in Utica? Utica does have lower crime rates than the state of New York average in a few areas. Most notable, robbery rates are lower. There were 86 reports in 2015 for 100,000. This is lower than the New York average of 121 per 100,000. It is a mild saving grace in a city that has a whole host of problems. The New York average factors in New York City. In the area of robbery, the numbers are heavily weighed. Take into account a city of comparable size to Utica, and Utica is most certainly more crime-ridden based on the data. Utica is not the sfaest place to live in the state, despite some encouraging numbers sporadically found. The Bottom Line Is Utica safe? It is hard to make broad generalizations about a specific city because of the many nuances that are involved. There is a lot of crime in the United States. There is a lot of crime in New York. But, it can be safe to say that Utica is a particularly concerning place to live. Basic safety precautions should be taken in even some of the safest cities in the United States. Utica residents though, should take additional precautions. The base line of safety in most cities may be to lock the door. It may not be unreasonable to presume that Utica residents should lock the door, have a home security, and potentially be armed as well. The numbers do not lie. Though Utica has many great features, low crime is certainly not one of them. |
