The Law Offices of Gary E. Gerson and 1Point 21 Interactive recently did a study that looked at data from all of Pennsylvania’s cities and townships on 15 measures that are known to affect crime.
Chester, Reading, Lebanon, and Lancaster were rated as the safest towns in Pennsylvania by the study. This is because they have high crime rates, few police officers, and poor socioeconomic conditions in their communities.
Chester is Pennsylvania’s most dangerous city
With about 1,615 crimes per 100,000 people, Chester has the highest rate of serious crime in Pennsylvania. Except for Reading, this is more than twice as much as any other place in the state. The rate of murder, robbery, and severe assault is also the highest in Chester. The rate of rape is the second highest in the state.
The study found that 20.1% of people in Reading are unemployed, which is the highest rate in the study. In 2018, the national average was 3.9%. This is a lot higher than that.
There are also a lot of crimes in the city. There are 1,127 serious crimes for every 100,000 people who live there. Reading also has the highest rate of property crime in the state, with 4,492 crimes per 100,000 people.
Lebanon: Not enough money for the police and a lot of crime
With only $177.12 spent on each resident, Lebanon has the lowest police spending per person. This is a lot less than the average police budget of $26.5 billion that Pennsylvania spends on K–12 education.
There are also a lot of crimes in the city. There are 708 serious crimes for every 100,000 people living there, and 2,816 property crimes for every 100,000 people living there.
Lancaster has a high rate of rape and a low level of education.
The most sexual assaults happen in Lancaster, which has almost twice as many as any other city in the state. A low level of schooling is also present in the city, as only 78.6% of its residents have completed high school. The national high school completion rate is 86.7 percent, so this is a lot lower.
Which four cities in Pennsylvania are thought to be the least safe?
Chester, Reading, Lebanon, and Lancaster are the four places in Pennsylvania that a study by The Law Offices of Gary E. Gerson and 1Point 21 Interactive says are the safest. We found these places to be the most dangerous by looking at data from 15 different factors that are known to affect crime in all Pennsylvania cities and townships.
There are about 1,615 serious crimes for every 100,000 people living in Chester, which is more than twice as many as in any other city in Pennsylvania[1]. The rate of murder, robbery, and severe assault is also the highest in Chester. The rate of rape is the second highest in the state.
Reading has the biggest unemployment rate in the study, with 20.1% of its people not having jobs. This is a lot higher than the 2018 national average of 3.9%. There are also a lot of crimes in the city. There are 1,127 serious crimes for every 100,000 people living there, and 4,492 property crimes for every 100,000 people living there. This is the highest rate in the state.
Lebanon has the lowest police budget per person, spending only $177.12 per person. This is a lot less than Pennsylvania’s average police budget of $26.5 billion, which goes to K–12 education[1]. There are also a lot of crimes in the city. There are 708 serious crimes for every 100,000 people living there, and 2,816 property crimes for every 100,000 people living there.
The most sexual assaults happen in Lancaster, which has almost twice as many as any other city in the state. Plus, not many people in the city have finished high school—only 78.6% of people who live there have a diploma, which is much lower than the national average of 86.7 percent.
In conclusion
People in Pennsylvania’s most dangerous places need to pay more attention to crime and socioeconomic factors in their neighborhoods, according to the study. There is no doubt that crime is a big problem, but it is important to remember that unemployment and low levels of schooling can affect crime rates. Pennsylvania can work to make neighborhoods safer for everyone by addressing these underlying problems.
