With more than 200,000 people living there, Baldwin County, Alabama, is one of the biggest counties in the state. People know this area for its beautiful shoreline, interesting historical sites, and wide range of cultures. To be fair, though, not everywhere in Baldwin County is as safe and peaceful as others. There are higher rates of crime, poverty, and social problems in some areas than in others.
CrimeGrade.org has crime maps and information for counties all over the United States. These are the five most dangerous areas in Baldwin County, Alabama, according to the data they provide:
Bay Minette:
This neighborhood is in the north central part of Baldwin County, not far from Bay Minette, which is the county center. The crime score is D-, which means it is only 15% safer than other neighborhoods in the United States.
More than twice as many crimes happen here as they do across the whole country (49.67 per 1,000 people). Theft, break-ins, and violence are the most common crimes in this area.
Foley:
This neighborhood is close to the Gulf of Mexico and in the south central part of Baldwin County. It has a crime score of D-, which means it is only 16% safer than other neighborhoods in the US.
More than twice as many crimes happen here as they do across the whole country (48.67 per 1,000 people). Theft, break-ins, and attack are the crimes that happen here the most often.
Robertsdale:
You can find this area in the middle of Baldwin County, close to where Highways 59 and 90 meet. It gets a C- for crime, which means it’s not safer than 24% of areas in the U.S.
More than twice as many crimes happen here as they do across the whole country (43.67% of every 1,000 people). Theft, break-ins, and robberies are the crimes that happen here most often.
The Gulf Shores:
In the southern part of Baldwin County, right next to the Gulf of Mexico, is this area. It has a crime score of C-, which means it is safer than only 25% of American neighborhoods.
More than twice as much crime happens here as it does across the whole country (42.67 crimes per 1,000 people). The most common crimes here are theft, breaking into homes, and attack.
Orange Beach:
This area is in the southeast of Baldwin County, close to the border with Florida and on the Gulf of Mexico. It has a crime score of C-, which means it is only 26% safer than other neighborhoods in the US. More than twice as many crimes happen here as they do across the whole country (41.67% of every 1,000 people). Theft, break-ins, and attack are the crimes that happen here the most often.
There are many problems in these areas, like poverty, unemployment, limited access to education, drug abuse, gang activity, and racial discrimination, that make their crime numbers so high. Because of this, people who live in these places often feel unsafe and down about their future.
In conclusion
But work is also being done to make these areas better and lower crime rates. Community groups offer things like mentoring programs for at-risk teens and young adults, job training for adults, events for kids after school, and neighborhood watch groups for people who live in the area. Local businesses are also giving people reasons to hire local workers and put money into projects that will improve the area.
Additionally, some law enforcement agencies have put in place plans to better stop and deal with crime in these areas. They have stepped up patrols and made themselves more visible. They have also formed partnerships with community leaders and locals and started using data to find and target crime hotspots.
These efforts might not fix all the issues right away, but they could make the area safer and better for the people who live there in the long run.