Don't
believe every report that you read.
That
Portsmouth (Tabloid Town) and Norfolk (BiPolar on the Bay) have
issues with crime should not be a shock or a surprise to anyone.,
though I question the interpretation, not the empirical evidence, of a
survey ranking the most dangerous cities in Virginia.
What city
doesn't have issues with crime? So does vacuous Virginia Beach, city
of subsidized sand, and even Chesapeake, banal but beautiful.
Portsmouth
was ranked the second most dangerous city in Virginia, Norfolk placed
third.
The
survey, a “careful analysis,” was done by Movoto Real Estate.
Movoto is an online real estate brokerage firm.
Surveys are a dime a
dozen today. There are surveys for most hugs, most hipster city, most
loser city, best city in which to have sex or to get a sex change.
Surveys
tell us where to live, where not to live. They influence our
politics, our lifestyle, our thinking.
They
are crap, really.
No one believes them but everyone wants them.
Who
is Movoto Real Estate? I never heard of them. Have you? Has anyone
ever used their services, talked to their agents, bought or sold a
house with their agents?
They
are national, based on their website, and they sell houses, pretend
to sell lots of them. Will
the survey devalue homes in Portsmouth and Norfolk so their agents
can swoop down on disgruntled homeowners?
Is
this an attempt to embroider Movoto's services, its claims as a
professional real estate firm, as your representative?
What
is Movoto selling?
Don't expect Portsmouth or Norfolk to advertise on your website.
Movoto
conducts this
survey every year, of all 50 states. The survey is based on FBI crime
data from the previous 12 months. Cities were ranked by the level of
violent
crime (rape, murder, and assault), Property crime (theft, burglary,
and motor vehicle thefts) and the chance a resident will be a victim
of crime.
Here's
what Movoto says about Portsmouth and Norfolk.
#2-Portsmouth, Va.
Crimes
have increased in Portsmouth over the past few years. In 2013,
486 violent
crimes ere
committed, and as of March, 2014, the number is already at 127.
Property crimes have dropped slightly, from 404 in March 2013, down
to only 291 in March of 2014. Your chance of being the victim of a
crime is still 1:18.
#3-Norfolk,
Va.
Living
in Norfolk, you have a 1:19 chance of being the victim of a crime. In
2013, Norfolk had 1,340 violent crimes and 11,596 non-violent crimes.
The city has a Crime Index rating of "7" meaning it is
safer than seven percent of the cities in the US.
But,
please, cities, don't get the notion you are free and clear. You
still have a job to get done.
I
know it's difficult dealing with all the issues, and there are many, with openings, celebrations, raising taxes, removing monuments, blaming the press for your own silly decisions, which you think are remarkable and divinely
inspired...
What do you think?
What do you think?