How do I find out about the crime rate of an area where I want to rent?

Question

Relocated to San Francisco and need to know whats going on in the area

Answer 1

Local Police department can runa list, they are the only source.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I get a lot of my information from the nightly news. Watch for about a week or 10 days. See what side of town things consistentely happen on. I'm not in CA, but in our area, the southwest side of town is most frequently the place for armed robberies, fires, kidnappings, etc. You know, anything's apt to happen any place, but you want to look at the frequency of these reports.

Also, ask around at work.

When I'm scouting out a new place to possibly live, I drive around and look at the neighborhood... see if there are kids playing, the front yards are fenced, the general "caliber" of the neighborhood. If I feel uncomfortable in my car, you can forget me living there. I also check for my favorite fast food stops, grocery stores, and so on... seeing as how I'm already on a fact-finding mission.

Answer 4

The SFPD has a crime maps site which provides access to the site for Windows machines and also other tips on how to get information (e.g., phoning the SFPD office in a given area of the city):

http://www.sfgov.org/site/police_index.asp?id=23813

Answer 5

Click on Yahoo real estate and then community research . .
enter the zip code and the crime index will come up .
But FYI . . .
Theft crimes are higher in the better neighborhoods because there is better stuff to steal there (which is why insurance is higher there)

http://realestate.yahoo.com/

Answer 6

observe the area yourself

Answer 7

WALK THE STREET AT MIDNIGHT.

Answer 8

www.bestplaces.net

Regards