(Wall Street Journal) — When CQ Press’s City Crime Rankings were published last week, they prompted headlines nationwide, particularly in cities that ranked near the top or bottom. The rankings showed that Detroit had the country’s highest crime rate among the largest cities, while El Paso was the least dangerous. But critics say such comparisons are meaningless. Cities differ markedly in how tightly their borders are drawn around their inner core, and how much of outlying areas are included within city limits can have a big effect on crime levels. The rankings are based only on reported crime, and reporting rates vary, criminologists say. Also, personal safety varies tremendously depending on lifestyle, income and neighborhood.
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