America's Most Dangerous Cities: 4 Are In CT

By FEROZE DHANOA (Patch National Staff)

Where are America’s most dangerous cities?

Four of them are in Connecticut, according to new data from online research website Neighborhood Scout.

The website recently released its list of the 100 most dangerous cities in America. The list was created using crime data and statistics from the FBI, U.S. Justice Department and more than 17,000 local law enforcement agencies.

According to Neighborhood Scout, New Haven is the state’s most dangerous city and ranked 36th in the country. According to the data, you have a one in 79 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in New Haven.

Neighborhood Scout’s data shows that in the past year 1,650 violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) have happened in New Haven. “For New Haven, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Violent offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. According to Neighborhood Scout’s analysis of FBI reported crime data, your chance of becoming a victim of one of these crimes in New Haven is one in 79,” the report said.

Other cities in Connecticut that made the list include:

• Hartford, which was 45th
• New London, which was 56th
• Bridgeport, which was 88th

Hartford is considered safer than 7 percent of all U.S. cities, and in 2014 there were 1,495 violent and 5,039 property crimes. There were 23 murders, 75 rapes, 557 robberies, and 840 assaults reported in Hartford last year.

In New London, 301 violent crimes were reported last year and 808 property crimes. New London is considered safer than 14 percent of all U.S. cities. Three murders, eight rapes, 50 robberies, and 225 assaults were reported last year.

For Bridgeport, 1,431 violent crimes were reported, 4,464 property crimes, 11 murders, 116 rapes, 584 robberies, and 720 assaults in 2014. Bridgeport is considered safer than 14 percent of all U.S. cities.

The top five most dangerous communities in the U.S. are: Camden, N.J., Chester, Pa., Detroit, Mich., Saginaw, Mich., and Oakland, Calif.

Taking all available data, Neighborhood Scout applies a mathematical algorithm that estimates the total number of crimes and crime rates for each neighborhood, with nearly 90-percent accuracy.

“With this report on the most dangerous cities, what we’re seeing is a really different picture of the types of locations that have the highest violent crime from what many people expect,” said Andrew Schiller, CEO and founder of NeighborhoodScout. “The picture of violent crime in America in many people’s minds is of high rise public housing projects, but once we did the analysis, we realized that the picture of violent crime in America is different today with more of the most dangerous areas dominated by single family homes, abandoned homes, low-income areas in inner-ring suburbs or decaying cities.”

Here is the full list of America’s most dangerous cities, according to Neighborhood Scout.