Auburn University is one of the biggest and most prestigious public universities in Alabama. It is located in Lee County. The county has a strong economy, a rich past, and a lot of different cultures. In spite of this, not all parts of Lee County are equally safe and appealing.
Information about crime shows that some areas of the county have higher rates of property and serious crimes than others. The most up-to-date information from 2021 shows the following five Lee County areas as the most dangerous:
Beauregard:
There is a rural village with about 10,000 people in the southwest part of the county. With a violent crime rate of 9.8 per 1,000 residents, this town has a lot of problems with crime. This is more than twice the county average of 4.7.
The rate of property crime is also very high, at 67.9 per 1,000 people, which is much higher than the county average of 39.7. Burglary, theft, and violence are the most common crimes in this area.
The Lanett:
This small city is in the northeast part of the county, right next to the border with Georgia. There are about 6,400 people living there. With 14.1 violent crimes for every 1,000 people, Lanett has a big problem with crime.
That’s three times the national average, which is 4.5 cases per 1,000 people. This is the highest rate in the county.
There are also a lot of property crimes in the city. There are 78.8 crimes per 1,000 people, which is twice the national average of 35.4 crimes per 1,000 people. Robbery, burglary, and theft are the crimes that happen most often in Lanett.
Notasulga:
There are about 800 people living in this town, which is in the northwest of the county. It has 12.5 serious crimes for every 1,000 people, which is almost three times the national average and the second-highest rate in the county.
The rate of property crime is also higher than average, with 42 crimes per 1,000 people living there. Assault, robbery, and theft are the most common crimes in Notasulga.
Opelika:
There is a city in the middle of the county that is the county center and is home to about 30,800 people. With 7.3 violent crimes per 1,000 people, this city has a higher-than-average violent crime rate, higher than both the county and national averages.
Also, there is a lot of property crime—45.9 crimes per 1,000 people, which is higher than the national figure. The most common crimes in Opelika are theft, breaking and entering, and violence.
Phenix City:
Along the border with Georgia, in the eastern part of the county, there is a city with about 36,700 people living there. With 6 violent crimes for every 1,000 people, this city has a higher rate of crime than both the county and national standards.
The rate of property crime is also high, with 54 crimes per 1,000 people, which is higher than the national average. The most common crimes in Phenix City are theft, break-ins, and car theft.
In conclusion
These five neighborhoods don’t show what Lee County is like as a whole; there are many more safe and nice places to live. Still, they do say that crime rates may be higher in some parts of the county than in others.
People who live or move in these areas should be careful and aware of their surroundings because of this.