You hit the nail on the head. You asked if people agreed that AZ was the third unsafest place in the U.S. Although you say you are not stupid or naive enough to think that whole states are dangerous, that is exactly what your post said to those who read it; it was a generalization (even though it is based on some stats, it doesn't matter if you don't provide the basis for the stats in your post and understand them yourself) and you asked people to agree or disagree.

So you asked for the responses by the way you posted the question. I think if you had asked what people generally felt about the safety of the state and in particular the areas you are planning to visit in Sedona, Scottsdale and Flagstaff, you'd have gotten very different answers. Instead, you asked them to comment on a very specific statistic, which is and probably meaningless for a traveler. What would be more helpful for a traveler would be to ask something like, "Are there any areas you would avoid in these towns I am planning on visiting? Any areas in particular you feel are not the safest for a tourist to wander into?"

Point taken and lesson learned. Thanks

Hi Lynn. Just to answer your question regarding some of the specific areas, we recently returned from a trip to Sedona, Grand Canyon, Page and Flagstaff. None of these places felt unsafe at all. I would think that probably Flagstaff has some unsafe neighborhoods just because it is a larger town and that's the way it is with most cities. But you probably wouldn't be going to these neighborhoods at all.


Sedona and Flagstaff were beautiful and very different although close together. Flagstaff was much greener, with enormous pines and a lot cooler by maybe
10-15 degrees due to the difference in elevation. Also if you are going to either Sedona or Flagstaff and you have never been to the Grand Canyon, you MUST go! That is the ultimate senic destination!

The only place I was nervous at all was driving though the Navaho reservation. That was because you drive a long distance without seeing any gas stations or even homes. There is no shade at all so not a good place for a breakdown! I would recommend keeping a full gas tank if you are traveling any distance.

I had a wonderful time and would love to return. I would like to visit Tucson also.

Cheers BlackandGold. Through good advice we have now been able to fine tune our plans better.

Yes we do plan to visit GC again while we are there, but for longer this time so we can exploremore than we did on our last visit which was organised and we had to go where we were taken.

Maybe someone has already told you this, but the Arizona desert can be cold at night. For example, in November, you'll want a warm jacket and the heater on at night in your car and room. Days can be really warm, but nights are cool.

Another thing about Arizona, is that many Americans retire there, near Phoenix and Tucson. We have spent a lot of time in Arizona over the years. It's lovely. Too hot in the summer for my taste, though.
:)>-

Oh, so you weren't asking about Arizona State University, you were asking about Arizona state?

At the GC I saw a lady on the edge of the south rim fall. Luckily, she fell away from the canyon. Unluckily, she broke a tooth and her camera. She had been facing the canyon and then excitedly turned around, started walking, and tripped on the uneven rock.

My safety advice for Arizona is to watch your step. That and make sure you have plenty of gas when you are out in the desert (as the Steelers fan (B&G) mentioned).

And take the usual precautions.

Well, gee, I thought Black and Gold would be the Saints!

You have to remember that if you are visiting Phoenix and its surrounding areas(including Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler) that this is a big city and big cities have their share of crime. Don't walk alone at dark and carry large amounts of cash or flashy jewelry. I went to visit Phoenix for an extended weekend a couple of years ago and found the people very friendly. Try Honey Bear's (2 locations) in Phoenix for great ribs and low prices. Arizona as a whole is safe but if you are planning on hiking -prepare, plan and be aware of your surroundings (this is true of wherever you go). If you like to explore get info on Kartchner Caverns (state park) in S.E. Arizona. My friends have hiked the Grand Canyon and have great stories and pictures from their vacation. I think Arizona is very beautiful and worth exploring so give it a try. Collect info and prepare to explore. I go at least twice a year but mostly to visit family in Miami and the SE area of Arizona.

The link provided also has a study of dangerous cities. Here is that link:
http://tinyurl.com/mguox

The statistics for cities makes a lot more sense than states because the area is much smaller. The city list makes sense for cities I'm familiar with. For example, I don't think that anyone would questio that Camden, Newark, Detroit and Washington are on the dangerous list, and that Honolulu & NYC are on the safe list. I've never been to Columbus or Charlotte, but I was surprised to see that they made the list of cities with crime problems.

Go to www.newslink.org and select the city you are interested in...read their newspaper.

Here in Seattle, every drive-by shooting or gang-related story seems to involve an after-hours club, a bar, or something similar, and the times are usually in the wee hours. Stay away from those kinds of places at those hours in any city and you will be fine.

I'll admit that their are occasional innocent bystander victims, but they are usually in the wrong place at the wrong time.You'll be fine anywhere in Arizona doing ordinary tourist things.

I don't understand why people are treating a visitor to our country this way. Her question is perfectly valid, particularly given the fact that Phoenix was plagued with not one, but two serial killers last summer. Here is the story as it appeared in the UK:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5223944.stm

Crime statistics are compiled from information sent in by the police departments in those cities. One of the constant complaints is that not all cities will report crime the same way.

So much of crime is committed at night. those areas that have warm nights will have more crime. Those that are under snow or sleet, won't. It's that simple. Those places with a lot of places that are open for business 24/7 will have more holdups than areas that shut down early.

Why would it be useful to know if somebody <b>agrees</b> or disagrees with statistics about the safety of Arizona or any other statistics?

I've been to Arizona many times and have always been as safe there as I am anyplace else I travel in the U.S.A., Canada, or Europe.

The questions have received the answers questions of this type inevitably elicit.

There are 3 kinds of lies:
1) lies,
2) damn lies, and
3) statistics.

And is that a
a lie
a damn lie
or a statistic?

That list of unsafe places is unbelievable to me - talk about the possibilites of squashing tourism
in the U.S. - so Lynn, I'm glad you asked b/c I'd hate to see someone not visit the U.S., or be unduly uncomfortable, because they read that list and didn't ask questions.

Your op could have been worded w/ more info and you likely would have had clearer responses - including where you were from, where you saw it, why you were asking, etc.

This thread reminds me of a class I had ages and ages ago in college titled &quot;How to Lie with Statistics&quot;
- statistics are so often taken at face value, as listed, without particulars: like what was the base, the ratio - more crime in this state vs. that state, but were most of the crimes committed in one city in the state? what is the ratio of crime compared to the total population of the states and is that being compared in the final analysis? usually, if the particulars are listed, it is so long an attachment no one reads it.

Listen to any political debate - the use of statistics skewed or interpreted differently by each candidate to promote their platform.....a two block area of a city can have huge crime stats while the rest of the city is 'safe' -

I hate statistics. I hated that course, too :)

It also reminds me of when we had an exchange student at our home about ten years ago from europe and she wanted to know where we kept our guns, b/c as far as she had been told, all Americans had guns....she thought it was still like the wild, wild west....

Lynn, wherever you travel in the U.S. or anywhere in the world, you are right about 'one wrong turn' and you can be in an area you'd rather not be in - I often find asking the hotel staff these questions will get you a more informative opinion than reading statistics.

However, even in high 'tourist areas' everywhere, I think tourists need to take precautions they don't always think of - like not getting complacent especially if you have become comfortable in a lovely city/environment and get lax about things -
like leaving belongings visible in your car, or locking them in your trunk at a high traffic tourist attraction which sometimes says to a would-be thief, 'gee, there must be something good in that trunk' - do all that before you leave your hotel -
everything else do as you would anywhere -
keep your bag with you - keep a handle on it if eating outside -

recently here in Boston we had a mini crime spree on Newbury St with a group (not caught yet as far as I know) who would go to an outside cafe, get seated, and when the waitress returned they were gone - and so were the pocketbooks of the people next to that table, who had left them unattended on the ground. They were making the rounds until a newspaper story advised all to not just put their bag on the ground of hang on back of their chair -
loop in over your arm, or wrap it under the leg of your chair, that type of thing. So far they haven't returned.

So use good sense, as you should in any city, ask questions while there about areas and directions, and then have a total blast.

I hope you love Arizona, I haven't been there for years and years, but I used to go for business in Mesa and traveled around a bit then and I loved it.

Enjoy. And post a trip report here when you return.
Cheers

I thought of several wise guy answers to this question such as 'the Indians next door haven't scalped me yet' (Indeed they haven't - but they did think that i might have shot my wife a week ago [i didn't !! ] )

But to answer the question truthfully, a great deal of crime is drug and car theft related. Stay away from places where drug deals are likely to go down and you should not have any trouble.

Arizona is an 'open carry' state where you may carry a gun on your person in the open without a permit. You don't see much of this. It is also possible to carry a concealed weapon with a permit. This is quite common. I do not believe there has been single case of a person with a CCW causing a problem. Since bad guys never know if a person might be armed, this perhaps actually reduces the crime rate.

I have been to Sedona, Grand Canyon, Tuscon and Scottsdale and have always felt very safe in AZ (I just posted our Sedona/Grand Canyon trip report).

Flagstaff looked a bit shady but we just drove through so I am not sure....

I've since moved to the great Pacific Northwest, but lived in AZ for 30 years and worked in the tourist industry for much of that time.

I gave safety warnings every day, but never for violence. By far, the most issues with tourists come from the climate. Additionally, I never had a tourist become the victim of violence, but I've seen many issues over the years with tourists being overcome by the heat or the elevation. Toss in some falls and some scorpion issues, and that's been the lot of the problems.

I believe that the stats may be correct, but I believe that the crime statistics in Arizona are skewed by violence at the border with Mexico. As other posters have said, it is related to drug and illegal alien smuggling, and is safe if you are not involved in those activities.

Scottsdale is affluent and very safe, crime statistics there are skewed by the Pima reservation - right next door - where methanphetamine traffic is a problem. Any sort of trouble going on there is unlikely to impact a tourist, or a local for that matter.

Sedona is very, very safe. I can't recall even hearing about a murder or other violent crime.

Flagstaff has more violent crime than a city of it's size should have, but that is mostly due to it being on the route to California. Some of the hotels on East Route 66 are mentioned regularly in the local paper's police log. Stay on the west side or around downtown, and it is quite safe. I give a caution on The Museum Club - locally it has a reputation for fighting in the parking lot. However, I always would take out of town visitors there for some country dancing in a unique setting. It's probably no more dangerous than similar settings worldwide.

My biggest caution to people visiting Arizona is to be prepared for the climate, especially if you are going in the summertime. You need to drink a lot of fluids, and I mean a LOT. Alcohol does not count as a fluid in the desert. If you are roadtripping, you either need to stay on the beaten path or be prepared, period! That means three gallons of water per person, and warm clothing for night time even if the weather is hot. Anyone doing physical activity like hiking, especially at elevation, should be in shape and have food, water, appropriate clothing, etc.

By far, the stupidest things I see tourists doing is hiking trails without proper clothing, equipment, food, or water. It's a sparsely populated state with tough, though spectacular, scenery. Help isn't always near by.

Have a great time in AZ - take reasonable precautions and it is no more dangerous than anywhere else.

i have alot of family there and had been there many times..i think that its the other way around, it seems to be one the more safest place to be, the only thing dangerous there is the sun- wear sunscreen:) about sightseeing- my favorite place to look up info is http://www.tripcart.com/usa-regions/...n-Arizona.aspx