ekatherine.stamatis@lawrank.com | August 22, 2022 | Criminal Defense
What Are the Safest and Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in West Chester?
With its population of fewer than 20,000 individuals, West Chester, Pennsylvania, was named by Livability last year as one of the nation’s top 100 communities in which to live.
But like all communities, some parts of West Chester are not as safe as others. Knowing where these less-than-safe neighborhoods are can help you take appropriate caution if you must travel to or through them.
Overall West Chester Crime Statistics
According to the Pennsylvania State Police’s crime statistics from 2018 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), 752,697 crimes were reported to law enforcement across the commonwealth. This represented crimes of all types, including crimes against persons, property, and other crimes. This data yielded a crime rate of 5.9%.
The Pennsylvania State Police’s statistics show that 346 crimes of all types were reported to West Chester Borough police in 2018. In that year, the borough’s population was 20,299. Overall, this gives the borough a crime rate of 1,704 crimes per 100,000, or 1.7%.
This crime rate for West Chester Borough is similar to that of many similarly sized jurisdictions. For example, West Whiteland Township had a population of 18,393 and 443 reported crimes, for a crime rate of 2.4%.
Both of these numbers are far below the state crime rate.
Safe West Chester Neighborhoods
Using publicly available data on reported crimes, CrimeGrade.org has prepared a useful map showing where crime is more likely to occur in West Chester. The map measures all crimes, including both violent crimes like robbery as well as property crimes like theft.
According to this map, the following neighborhoods have the fewest crimes reported to law enforcement:
Northwest West Chester
The northwest part of West Chester, bounded by South New Street to the east and West Ashbridge Street to the north, is an area where you can expect to find fewer crimes. The area on CrimeGrade.org’s map is shaded green, meaning fewer crimes are reported in this area than elsewhere in West Chester.
South and East of West Chester
Many areas within the borough of West Chester are colored yellow or yellow-green. This color signifies areas that report an average number of crimes each year. However, immediately to the east of West Chester is Chatwood.
Once you travel on East Gay Street to where it intersects with Westtown Road, the map turns bright green. Bright green signifies an area where fewer than average crimes are reported.
Similarly, heading south on South High Street past West Chester University and toward Snyder Avenue leads to another area of solid green.
Dangerous West Chester Neighborhoods
In contrast to the neighborhoods that seem to experience the lowest crime rates in West Chester, there are pockets of the borough where crime seems to occur with greater frequency. This includes both violent crime and property crime.
These more dangerous neighborhoods tend to be in eastern and southern West Chester:
East Gay Street
The area immediately south of East Gay Street and to the east of South High Street is shown in shades of yellow, orange, and red on CrimeGrade.org’s map. This indicates, respectively, areas of increasing crime. All three colors denote areas of crime that are higher than average.
West Chester University
While West Chester University has spots of green nearby, the area between South High Street to the east and South New Street to the west is also colored red on the crime map. Accordingly, one could anticipate a greater chance of encountering criminal activity in this area.
Living and Working in West Chester
None of these resources indicate that West Chester is a dangerous place to live. Like any other town in Pennsylvania or across America, some parts of West Chester are very safe, and others are not quite as safe. Staying alert to your surroundings and trusting your intuition can help you avoid becoming the victim of a crime.
Contact Our Criminal Defense Law Firm in West Chester, PA
If you are facing criminal charges and need legal help, contact the West Chester, PA criminal defense lawyers at DiCindioLaw, LLC to schedule a free initial consultation.
DiCindio Law, LLC
29 S Walnut St
West Chester, PA 19382
(610) 430-3535
***This blog article is made available by the law firm publisher for educational purposes and to provide general information, not to provide specific legal advice. By reading, you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the publisher. The above listed information does not include the entire crimes code, annotations, amendments or any recent changes that may be relevant. The information provided is for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current legal developments. These materials are not intended, and should not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. Please contact DiCindio Law, LLC for a consultation and to discuss what law is relevant to your case. ***