Utah has one of the lowest crime rates among states in the United States; this state is also considered as one of the safest. Still, even this least hazardous situation contains no-go areas. While Utah boasts 31% less violent crime than other States of America, certain localities could see more than others. Anyone intending to visit Utah or move should be aware of which cities have the highest crime rates so that they may make a smart decision.
This study then helped us to identify, using FBI Uniform Crime Reporting System data, the most hazardous areas in the state of Utah. We identified cities with a population of more than 10,000 using this criterion and compared the occurrences of violent crimes—including murder, rape, robbery, and serious assault—with property crimes—including burglary, theft, and car theft. Using the information they gathered, the writers concentrated on spotting Utah communities with more than-average crime rates.
West Valley City
Ranked second in Utah, West Valley has a population of around 145, 000 people right now. In earlier years, this Salt Lake County community has had multiple criminal activities. This is why, despite a tendency toward their decline in recent years, West Valley's crime rates remain quite high when compared to the rest of the state.
Compared to other Utah localities, West Valley City has high rates of aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and car theft among these categories of crimes. Almost four times the state of Oklahoma's average, crime rate is very high. certain of them attribute it to growing population density and the existence of large gangs and drug traffickers, particularly in certain parts of West Valley. Since the founding of this police agency, it has expanded over time under the public safety improvement program designed to handle crime. But as of right now, West Valley City is still among those Utah cities deemed quite unsafe.
South Salt Lake
Situated between Salt Lake community and West Valley City is South Salt Lake, another community still struggling with above-average crime rates even though over the last two decades the rates have dropped. Amarillo has a roughly three-fold higher violent crime rate than the state, mostly due to aggravated assault.
The city also falls slightly more in property crimes such as burglary, motor vehicle theft, and other thefts. Crime, especially in the form of violent crime, appears to be fueled by poverty and high unemployment, as well as gang activity in South Salt Lake as with the other cities in this list. It is a relatively small city with a surface area of 1.6 square miles and a population of about 25000 residents; however, it is bordered by some other cities that may affect crime rates such as West Valley City.
Price
This is the city of Price, situated in the Carbon County of central Utah, listed as one of the most dangerous places in Utah based on the crime rate. This makes crime rates similar to what is experienced in other large cities such as the West Valley and the South Salt Lake even though it is a small city with a population of around 8,500 individuals.
Price has rates of aggravated assault and rape higher than the other areas in Utah, making its violent crime index 3.5 times higher than the national average. There is a problem with drugs and substance circulation, particularly with the new increased flow of methamphetamine in Price. Although local law enforcement is working hard to rein in crime, Price is unable to curb crime as effectively as some of the larger cities of Utah.
Ogden
The largest city of the northern region is Ogden, Utah which has a population of 87,000. However, although crime has reduced in the last couple of decades, Ogden still experiences relatively higher crimes compared to many Utah cities and more so the national average.
Violent crime rates in Ogden are now over 140% as compared with nationwide averages. There is a higher propensity in rates of assault, rape, and even murder than in other areas of the state. Yes, the violence and activity level of gangs are involved, but the city has made attempts to reduce the gang problem and has programs to educate and intervene. The poverty and unemployment level in Ogden also appears to influence crime with the majority of the population having less than $25,000 per annum income level with over 15% of the population living below the poverty line.
What You Should Know?
Thus, even though some cities in Utah do have higher crime rates or are at least experiencing concerns regarding crime rates, Utah is still considered one of the ten safest states in the United States of America. None of the cities analyzed had either very high or uncontrolled rates of crime. Property crime risks remain relatively average across most Utah cities, but violent crime can be a problem in the places identified as most dangerous.
This information may be useful for both the visitors and the residents of Utah to know which of these cities has reported higher crimes in the recent past when making choices. If you stay away from high crime areas of Utah and take all necessary precautions, you shouldn’t encounter problems in most parts of the state even if the crime rates are relatively high. This can go a long way in encouraging more citizens to contribute to combating these vices and also pushing for effective programs that can reduce crime and poverty levels across the whole state.
