These Are the 10 Cities Where Violent Crime Is Declining

For years, experts have maintained that crime rates increase with rising unemployment and poverty rates. Yet, data released earlier this year from the FBI show a marked decrease in the national violent crime rate between 2005 and 2010 even as unemployment and poverty have continued to skyrocket.

Using the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports database, researchers at 24/7 Wall St. has identified the 10 metropolitan areas where violent crime rates decreased the most.

Nationwide, the crime rate has declined 13.9 percent from 469 incidents per 100,000 individuals in 2005 to 403.6 in 2010. In fact, 2010 was the fourth year in a row crime has declined in the U.S.

Looking at the 328 metropolitan statistical ares (MSAs), it’s clear that in some cities crime rates have dropped even more than the national average. In the ten regions identified on this list, the rate has dropped by 25 percent-50 percent.

The ten cities, however, do not share any clear commonalities that explain the cause behind their decreased crime rates. Some of them have high poverty rates, low median incomes and high unemployment rates. Others are quite wealthy, with high median incomes and low poverty rates that are about half the national average. In many of them, however, crime remains a severe problem, despite the decline.

If poverty and unemployment cannot explain the dramatic drops in crime rates, what can? Research found that what accounted for those declining incidences of assault, murder and robbery were local projects, improvements in law enforcement, and urban development — usually, a combination of these. While many of these cities still have a long way to go, they have had success at fighting crime on a local level.

These are the cities where violent crime is plummeting.

10. Salisbury, MD

5-year decrease in violent crime rate: -237

Violent crime per 100,000 (2005): 906.4

Violent crime per 100,000 (2010): 669.7

Murders per 100,000: 9

In 2005, the Salisbury, Maryland area had the 12th highest violent crime rate in the country. At a rate of 906.4 for every 100,000 residents, it was nearly double the national rate of 469.3. By 2010, however, the region’s rate had dropped 38 percent to 669 violent crimes per 100,00 people. This was still much higher than the national average, and the murder rate actually went up over that time, but a substantial decline in the number of robberies and assaults represented a positive sign for the crime-ridden region.

State Governor Martin O’Malley announced that year a $156,000 grant to Salisbury to start the second Safe Streets program in the state, according to the Baltimore Sun. The program had shown apparent benefits in Annapolis.

9. Savannah, GA

5-year decrease in violent crime rate: -240.4

Violent crime per 100,000 (2005): 582.9

Violent crime per 100,000 (2010): 342.5

Murders per 100,000: 6.5

The metro region of Savannah, Georgia had a violent crime rate of 582.9 per 100,000 residents in 2005, which was well above the national rate, and the second-highest rate in the state. In 2010, that number had dropped 41 percent to 342.5, putting it below the national average of 403.6. In that time, the rate of robberies dropped 37 percent, and the rate of aggravated assault dropped 42 percent.

In a 2009 speech elaborating on his stimulus package, president Obama named Savannah as a target area for Justice Assistance Grant, or “JAG” funds.

“Savannah, Georgia Police Department would use the Byrne JAG funds for crime and intelligence analysts. The stimulus funding would also be targeted for juvenile prevention and intervention efforts in Savannah. The department intends to bridge the school resource and community gaps by adding police officers specifically to work with the schools and communities,” said the president.

8. Gainesville, FL

5-year decrease in violent crime rate: -244

Violent crime per 100,000 (2005): 867.4

Violent crime per 100,000 (2010): 623.4

Murders per 100,000: 5.9

In 2005, the Gainesville, Florida metro region’s violent crime rate of 867.4 incidents for every 100,000 residents was the 15th highest in the country. In 2007, after the city reported another disappointing increase in violent crime, a task force was started to deal specifically with that problem, according to the Gainesville Sun.

It appears to have helped.

By 2010, the violent crime rate had dropped 28 percent to 623.4, although it is still well above the U.S. average rate. In the city of Gainesville, things did not actually improve much and there were actually 31 more robberies in 2010 than in 2005. However, outside the city limits robberies declined and there were 372 fewer cases of aggravated assault.

7. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

5-year decrease in violent crime rate: -249.7

Violent crime per 100,000 (2005): 749.7

Violent crime per 100,000 (2010): 500

Murders per 100,000: 4.3

Between 2005 and 2010, much of the state of Florida had a massive increase in unemployment. The Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area was no exception, with the unemployment rate in the area rising from 3.9 percent to 12.1 percent. This substantial increase in joblessness appeared to have little impact on violent crime, which declined 33 percent from 749.7 crimes per 100,000 people to 500 — above but relatively close to the national average.

The metro area went from having the 19th highest violent crime rate in the country to 75th highest. In Ybor city, a historic Tampa neighborhood with a high number of bars and clubs, the rate has dropped 84 percent since 2001, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

6. Jackson, TN

5-year decrease in violent crime rate: -333.6

Violent crime per 100,000 (2005): 989

Violent crime per 100,000 (2010): 655.4

Murders per 100,000: 4.4

In 2005, the Jackson, Tennessee metro region, which includes Chester and Madison counties, had the seventh-highest violent crime rate in the country. By 2010, that rate had declined 33.7 percent, from 989 to 655.4 per 100,000 residents. In that same period, the rate of robberies declined more than 20 percent and the aggravated assault rate dropped 36 percent. While non-violent crime was not included on this list, it might be worth noting that the rate of property crime, which includes burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft, dropped 16 percent in the same six-year interval.

5. Alexandria, LA

5-year decrease in violent crime rate: -345

Violent crime per 100,000 (2005): 983

Violent crime per 100,000 (2010): 638

Murders per 100,000: 7.5

The Alexandria metro region, located in the center of the state of Louisiana, had the 8th highest rate of violent crime in the country in 2005 at 983 incidents per 100,000 residents. By 2010, that number had declined by 345, or 35 percent, to 638. This is still well above the national average, but it drops the region from the 8th-highest violent crime rate to the 29th highest. While the rate of robberies actually increased over that time, the assault rate dropped by nearly 50 percent.

4. Santa Fe, NM

5-year decrease in violent crime rate: -349.6

Violent crime per 100,000 (2005): 706.6

Violent crime per 100,000 (2010): 357

Murders per 100,000: 6.6

In 2005, the Santa Fe, New Mexico region had a violent crime rate of 706.6 per 100,000, which was the 35th highest in the country and substantially higher than the national average. By 2010, the rate had dropped by nearly 50 percent to 357. Santa Fe now ranks a respectable 177th highest, and has a crime rate below the national level. While robbery actually increased over this period, there were 448 fewer cases of aggravated assault in 2010 than 2005. In 2006 Santa Fe was still struggling with growing violent and gang-related crimes in the city, according to the Sante Fe Reporter.

That’s when Mayor David Coss proposed a youth summit to address crime in the city, as well as use in school tactics to identify children susceptible to crime and take appropriate steps to intervene.

See the top 3 cities with declining violent crime rates.

(Michael B. Sauter/Becket Adams--24/7 Wall St./The Blaze)