Crime stats - where do you feel save?

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StellenboschStudent

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With all the happenings in France over the last week (where I am currently living), it made me think a lot about where one feels safe and what threatens that feeling?

So...

South Africa had 17 068 reported murders in 2013/14, which equates to about 47 murders per day or 32 murders per population of 100 000 (or 0.032%) (actual murders from hospital figures point to 30 000 per year, most don't get reported).

Compared to all of Europe which has a murder rate of 1.8 per 100 000 population (0.0018%), and in particular France had 665 murders in 2013/14 or 1.8 per day.

America had 33 cases of mass shootings (4 or more dead) resulting in 165 dead (more than one every 2 weeks). They had 12 253 murders in 2013, 33 per day or 10.5 per 100 000 population (0.0105%).

To be fair, most of the killings in both SA and America is gang related and won't have an impact on most of the population. South Africa has no terrorism (or none that we are aware of).

So yes, question remains, do you feel safe where ever you live? What threatens your sense of safety?
 
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I usually save to My Documents, because I'm cool like that.

But yeah, definitely feel safer in Europe.
 
StellenboschStudent said:
I agree, in my 28 years in SA I was never really exposed to any 'heavy' crime... been at a store that was being robbed and a home robbery while I was asleep, but always felt relatively save.
Hence the question, what would disturb your feeling of safety?
Click to expand...

I may kill you...

save
verb
1.
keep safe or rescue (someone or something) from harm or danger.

safe
adjective
1.
protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost.
 
Nope, not particularly. Part of the reason I'm heading abroad.

Beyond the actual crime the perception of safety decreasing and the way we turn ourselves into prisoners to try and reclaim some sense of safety is actually horrifying.

Especially when you visit a place like Scandinavia or Europe.
 
Safety is something that never really crosses my mind. That being said, I am avoiding major capitals in Europe for a while
 
JStrike said:
Safety is something that never really crosses my mind. That being said, I am avoiding major capitals in Europe for a while
Click to expand...

But that is the thing, just looking at the numbers, you are more likely to be killed in SA on a normal day, compared to any city in Europe.
Due to one incident in Paris, everyone in Europe feels unsafe...
 
I feel save when my flash drive is being written to; the warmth generated and the flashing light makes me all warm and fuzzy knowing those bits are being flipped.
 
OrbitalDawn said:
Especially when you visit a place like Scandinavia or Europe.
Click to expand...

Good point. I've been back in the UK for around two months or so; it is horrifying to see the difference in personal safety. No bars, no electrified fences, no high walls. Walking the streets late at night feels completely safe. The difference are night and day. Yet I feel we as South Africans are so used to that way of life it doesn't cross our minds. It never crossed mine until I got back to the UK...
 
StellenboschStudent said:
But that is the thing, just looking at the numbers, you are more likely to be killed in SA on a normal day, compared to any city in Europe.
Due to one incident in Paris, everyone in Europe feels unsafe...
Click to expand...

I don't look at numbers, and have never experienced any crime, or know anyone that has. So it is something that just doesn't cross my mind.

The Paris terrorism however is one my mind however as I tend to be in various capitals in Europe quite often
 
JStrike said:
I don't look at numbers, and have never experienced any crime, or know anyone that has. So it is something that just doesn't cross my mind.

The Paris terrorism however is one my mind however as I tend to be in various capitals in Europe quite often
Click to expand...

Ok, fair enough.
But do you have burglar bars at your home? armed response? do you make sure your doors are locked every night?
You don't go wandering in the streets at night?

In SA I stayed in a security complex and very often in the mornings I would find i didn't lock a few doors. I even forgot to lock my car on multiple occasions (and I still have my gps). So as far as I am concerned, in my small bubble, SA was very safe. However, that changed when my wife almost got hijacked... when they broke into our neighbors house... when a guy got killed close to friends who we frequently visited.
 
StellenboschStudent said:
But that is the thing, just looking at the numbers, you are more likely to be killed in SA on a normal day, compared to any city in Europe.
Due to one incident in Paris, everyone in Europe feels unsafe...
Click to expand...

Maybe it's because in SA we know the stats, we know what to expect, where to be cautious, when to lock the doors etc. And we are used to the numbers.

An attack in Europe would have a different impact on the feeling of safety I would imagine, because it is unexpected and uncommon (at least more than normal crime here).

If someone tells you to walk through JHB CBD end to end at midnight, you will feel an almost certainty of being a victim of some sort, but when you go and watch a concert in Paris, no one would expect the outcome as it ended.
 
StellenboschStudent said:
Ok, fair enough.
But do you have burglar bars at your home? armed response? do you make sure your doors are locked every night?
You don't go wandering in the streets at night?

In SA I stayed in a security complex and very often in the mornings I would find i didn't lock a few doors. I even forgot to lock my car on multiple occasions (and I still have my gps). So as far as I am concerned, in my small bubble, SA was very safe. However, that changed when my wife almost got hijacked... when they broke into our neighbors house... when a guy got killed close to friends who we frequently visited.
Click to expand...

I have armed response. As we do in our houses in Europe. I make sure the doors are locked at night. As we do in our houses in Europe
We frequently walk around the streets at night. Very frequently

Sorry to hear about your wife and neighbor. But that hasn't happened to me
 
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JStrike said:
I don't look at numbers, and have never experienced any crime, or know anyone that has. So it is something that just doesn't cross my mind.

The Paris terrorism however is one my mind however as I tend to be in various capitals in Europe quite often
Click to expand...

You are very lucky. I don't feel safe here, various crimes, big and serious crimes involving me, my immediate family and my extended circle.
 
This thread makes me scared to come back to SA...am so used to feeling safe every day but I miss the country and people so much.
 
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