Napa County Crime

Napa County, rural and suburban upscale, has very few homicides every year. In 2005, it reported just one, which makes it one of the most peaceful counties in the state.

Nonetheless, it pays to be wary and know something about crime trends. The following will give you an overview of Napa, California and U.S. crime and some suggestions on staying safe. See charts.

Every neighborhood and city in this country suffers from some crime. Even communities surrounded by gates and patrolled by guards will on occasion see domestic violence or pilfering by visitors. www.mccormacks.com

So the question to ask when shopping for a home or apartment is not: Is this neighborhood safe? But rather, how safe is it compared to other places?

In California, crime often follows demographics: High-income neighborhoods generally have low crime, middle-income places middling crime, and low-income towns and neighborhoods high crime. www.mccormacks.com

In many instances, these patterns mislead. You can take probably every high-crime city in the country and find within it low-crime neighborhoods.

Theft is the most common crime. A city with many stores or a regional shopping mall will often have a high number of thefts — and consequently, a higher crime rate. Number of homicides, in some instances, gives a clearer picture of local crime. www.mccormacks.com

The demographic connection also can mislead. Many peaceful, law-abiding people live in the “worst” neighborhoods. But these neighborhoods sometime contain a disproportionate number of the troubled and criminally inclined.

Crime In Other Countries

Why does crime correlate with income and demographics? In many countries, it doesn’t. Japan, devastated after World War II, did not sink into violence and thievery. Many industrialized nations with about the same or lower standards of living than the U.S. have far fewer murders. In 2000, France, about 54 million people, counted 503 homicides; in 2002, the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Island), 58 million people, recorded 513 homicides. By contrast, in 2004, the City of Los Angeles, 3.9 million people, tallied 518 homicides (and historically this was low for L.A.). In recent years Europeans have seen more burglaries, robberies, etc. In fact, in some categories, the U.S. is doing better than some Europe nations. The big exception: shootings. www.mccormacks.com

Sociologists blame the breakdown of morals and the family in the U.S., the pervasive violence in the media, the easy access to guns and other forces. Any one of these “causes” could be argued into the next century but if you’re shopping for a home or an apartment just keep in mind that there is a correlation between demographics and crime.

Spotting a Troubled Neighborhood

Crime is a young person’s game, particularly boys and men. In one of its annual studies, the FBI determined that 61 percent of all the people arrested were under age 30. For every female arrested, four males were arrested, the same study noted.

Take a look at the academic rankings of the neighborhood school. Very low rankings indicate that many children are failing, that the dropout rate is probably high, that the young people will have difficulty finding jobs — conditions that often breed crime. Drive the neighborhood. The signs of trouble are often easily read: men idling around the liquor store, bars on many windows, security doors in wide use. www.mccormacks.com

Should you avoid unsafe or marginal neighborhoods? The troubled neighborhoods often carry low prices or rents and are located near job centers. Many towns and sections are in transition; conditions could improve, the investment might be worthwhile. What’s intolerable to a parent might be acceptable to a single person. If you don’t have the bucks, often you can buy safe but you may have to settle for a smaller house or yard. Whatever your neighborhood, don’t make it easy for predators. Lock your doors, join the neighborhood watches, school your children in safety, take extra precautions when they are called for.

Sex Offender Directory

For a list of registered sex offenders by town or city, go to www.meganslaw.ca.gov.

California Crime

Of the 2,394 homicides in 2004, guns, mostly pistols, accounted 73 percent of the total, knives 12 percent, blunt objects such as clubs 4 percent, hands and feet other personal weapons 6 percent, and unidentified weapons 5. www.mccormacks.com

U.S. Crime

In 2004, the FBI reports, 16,137 people were murdered in the United States. The FBI was able to assemble data on 14,121 homicides. Of these, 9,326 or 66 percent were shot, 1,866 stabbed, 663 beaten with a blunt instrument, 933 assaulted with feet, hands or fists, 11 poisoned, 15 drowned, 114 killed by fire and 155 strangled. Narcotics killed 76 and asphyxiation 105. In 856 homicides, weapons were not identified. www.mccormacks.com

Of total murdered, 10,990 were male, 3,099 female and 32 unknown.

In murders involving guns, handguns accounted for 7,365 deaths, rifles 393, shotguns 507, and other guns or type unknown 1,161. www.mccormacks.com

Of the 14,121 murdered in 2004, the FBI reported that 3,976 lost their lives in violence stemming from arguments or brawls. The next largest category was robbery victims, 988 homicides. Romantic triangles led to 97 homicides, narcotic drug laws 554, juvenile gang violence 804, gangland violence 95, rape 36, arson 28, baby-sitter-killing-child 17, burglary 77, prostitution 9, gambling 7.

In 2004, there were 666 justifiable homicides in the U.S. — 437 by police, 229 by citizens. www.mccormacks.com

• In 1993, the U.S. recorded 24,526 homicides. There then began dramatic decreases. Among possible reasons: better emergency-trauma care, locking up more people, prosperity, more cops and according to the author of the book, "Freaknomics," abortions.