Dangerous City

Neighborhood Scout ranked it as the 44th most dangerous city in America.

MyLife ranked Niagara Falls as the most dangerous place in the state of New York - - out of 994 towns and cities.

Based on FBI statistics, in terms of the sheer likelihood of being a victim of a crime, Niagara Falls surpasses every city and town in New York State.

Bethlehem, Yonkers, Clarkstown, Poughkeepsie, Jamestown, Newburgh, Utica, Albany, Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester, Buffalo and New York City. None can hold a candle to Niagara Falls when it comes to a resident's chances at being a victim.

In 2013, the year the latest statistics are available, for every 100 people living in Niagara Falls, there were nearly seven crimes - 3,391 total crimes in that year- 584 violent crimes - for a city of 49,574.

Almost seven people out of 100 - hit with crimes - that's unheard of anywhere else in this state.

Buffalo, the next most dangerous city, had six crimes per 100 residents.

The next four most dangerous cities had around five per 100.

If a city had only two crimes per 100 residents - like North Tonawanda - it ranked 31st in the list of the state's most dangerous places.

And, as for violent crime, no city surpassed Niagara Falls either.

In New York City, one out of 160 people was a victim of a violent crime that year.

In Niagara Falls, it's one out of 84, or twice the chances.

Niagara Falls beats them all.

Only Schenectady comes close. Being a resident in Schenectady gives a resident a one out of 108 chance of being a victim of a violent crime.

Compared to Niagara Falls' one in 84.

Binghamton is one out of 163. Albany one out of 123. Troy one out of 134. Utica one out of 170. And these cities are in the top 10 most dangerous.

When you get down to #20, Cheektowaga --it's one in 495.

Hamburg is one in 1198; Town of Tonawanda, one in 492; West Seneca, one in 1280; Amherst, one in 1105; Lancaster, one in 2424 - and all these towns are in the top 50 most dangerous in the state.

Of this pattern of higher crime in this city, Niagara Falls Mayor, Paul A. Dyster said last year, "Is there some violent crime in Niagara Falls? Yes, but it's mainly involved with drugs and gangs. If you're walking down the street, your chances of being a victim are exceedingly low."

 

This Niagara St. property, only a few blocks from the Niagara Falls State Park and on the boundary of the Seneca Niagara Casino, is one of dozens of boarded up vacant buildings near the park and casino, showing what the results of casino spin off, and having the most visited state park in America, are having in Niagara Falls.