Shelby County is a suburban county in Alabama. It is in the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area. The area is known for having a high quality of life, a low crime rate, and beautiful natural surroundings.
It’s important to keep in mind, though, that not all parts of Shelby County are equally safe. There are more violent and property crimes in some neighborhoods, which can be dangerous for both residents and visitors.
Based on the most recent crime data from CrimeGrade.org and InsidePrison.com, these are the five riskiest areas in Shelby County:
The Columbiana:
Along with being the county seat of Shelby County, Columbiana is also the oldest city in the county. It has a historic downtown area and is home to about 3,300 people. There is, however, a problem: Columbiana has the highest rate of violent crime in the county, with 1,355.9 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2018.
This is more than six times the average number of crimes in the county, which is 20.5. The city also has a high rate of property crime. In 2018, there were 2,394.1 incidents per 100,000 residents, which is more than twice as many as the average of 34.1 incidents in the county. Attacks, break-ins, and theft are the most common types of crimes in Columbiana.
Calera
Calera is famous for being the fastest-growing city in Shelby County, Alabama, and one of the fastest-growing cities in the whole state. It has about 14,300 people living there, is on Interstate 65, and has a lot of interesting things to see, like the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum and the Timberline Golf Course.
In spite of its growth and popularity, Calera has a lot of problems with crime. With 1,848.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2018, it had the second-highest rate of violent crime in the county, more than eight times the average for the county.
Another bad fact is that Calera has the highest rate of property crime in the county, with 2,992.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, which is over seven times the average for the county. Robbery, burglary, and theft are the most common types of crimes in Calera.
Montevallo:
There are about 6,600 people living in Montevallo, which is a small city and home to the University of Montevallo. The town is proud of its rich cultural history and puts on many events all year long, such as the Alabama National Fair and the Festival of Arts. The high crime rate, on the other hand, is a big problem.
With 1,027.7 crimes against every 100,000 people, Montevallo had the third-highest rate of violent crime in the county in 2018. The average for this county is 20.5, so this number is over four times that.
The city also has a high rate of property crime. In the same year, there were 2,163 incidents per 100,000 residents, which is more than four times the average for the county, which is 34.1.
Attacks, break-ins, and theft are the most common types of crimes in Montevallo. The high crime rates are a problem that the community and the local government need to work together to solve so that everyone can live safely and securely.
Alabaster:
There are a lot of big cities in Alabama. Alabaster is the biggest in Shelby County and one of the biggest in the whole state. With about 33,000 people living there, it is a major center for business and industry. The city has many nice things, like schools, parks, and shopping malls.
But one thing that needs to be looked at is that it has a higher rate of violent crime than the rest of the county. In 2018, there were 274.6 violent crimes in Alabaster for every 100,000 people, which is more than double the average of 20.5 crimes in the county.
Similarly, Alabaster has a much higher rate of property crime, with 1,728.3 incidents per 100,000 residents in the same year—that’s more than three times the average rate for the county, which is 34.1. Assault, burglary, and theft are the most common types of crimes in Alabaster.
Pelham:
There are about 23,400 people living in Pelham, which is a suburban city in Shelby County. The city of Pelham is one of the oldest in the county. It has a diverse economy and many fun things to do, like golf courses, sports complexes, and nature trails.
Even though Pelham has some good points, it also has some worrying crime rates. With 151.4 violent crimes per 100,000 people, Pelham had a higher rate of crime than the rest of the county in 2018.
This number was more than seven times the average rate for the county, which was 20.5. Also, there was more property crime in Pelham than anywhere else in the county. There were 1,698.5 incidents per 100,000 residents, which is more than double the average of 34.1.
Robbery, burglary, and theft are the most common types of crimes in Pelham. This shows how important it is to keep working to address and lower crime in the area.
In conclusion
If you look at crime data for Shelby County, these five areas have been named as the most dangerous. It is important to know, though, that this doesn’t mean they are completely unsafe for everyone or all the time. The number of crimes can change depending on things like the season, time of day, and other factors.
It’s important to remember that proactive steps to stop crime and strong law enforcement can make a big difference in lowering the risk of crime and improving the quality of life in these areas.
So, while it’s important to know how dangerous a neighborhood is, being careful and using common sense when you’re there or visiting can make you much safer.