Emeryville, CA – The recent designation of Emeryville as the most dangerous city in America has sparked controversy and raised questions about the validity of such rankings. SafeWise.com’s annual report placed Emeryville at the top of the list, citing FBI crime data from 2016. However, Emeryville Chief of Police Jennifer Tejada has challenged the accuracy of this ranking, pointing to several factors that may have skewed the results.
Emeryville, with a census population of around 12,000 residents, is a bustling “edge city” known for its concentration of entertainment and shopping centers. Chief Tejada argues that using census population alone fails to capture the true population of the city, which can swell to approximately 35,000 during weekdays and even higher on weekends due to its commercial nature and convenient access to major highways.
The increase in violent crime, according to Tejada, is primarily driven by robberies at shopping centers, mostly involving shoplifts by force in commercial areas rather than residential neighborhoods. Additionally, Emeryville’s proximity to neighboring cities with inadequate police resources could have influenced the crime statistics.
While the city saw a decrease in arrests in 2016, attributed partly to staffing issues within the police department, violent crime reportedly decreased by 9% for the year. Emeryville notably did not record a single homicide in 2016.
However, auto burglaries experienced a significant increase of 91%, prompting the Emeryville Police Department to initiate outreach programs to local hotels and provide theft prevention advice to guests. Criminals have been utilizing modern technology and low-tech methods to target vehicles, highlighting the need for proactive measures to combat this crime.
In conclusion, the designation of Emeryville as the most dangerous city in America may not accurately reflect the city’s overall safety. Chief Tejada emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique factors affecting crime rates in Emeryville before drawing definitive conclusions.