Oklahoma Crime Statistics

I was watching an episode of Law and Order when the thought hit me: I wonder what crime in Oklahoma looks like? I hadn't really worried about it, to be honest, since I plan to live in the sticks and most crime happens in the city. However, I cannot pretend that crime doesn't happen everywhere. So I hopped on the trusty internet and let my fingers do the walking. I found the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation website has annual reports about crime statistics. This is the state equivalent to the FBI, so the statistics relate to their agency, not my town or county, but some very useful information can be gleaned from these reports. Here are some key things I have taken away from studying the stats of my upcoming state of residence:

Oklahoma

• Most crimes are committed by 25 - 29 year old men. Color me NOT surprised.
• Burglary of cars and houses are still the largest crimes committed in OK.
• A high percentage of murders happen between people who know each other, i.e. spouses, family, friends, acquaintances.
• Arson seems to be an  under 18 phenomena, with the majority of arson cases being tied to juveniles.
• Marijuana-related crime (possession, DUI) account for almost 50% of the drug offense arrests.
• Crime spikes in late spring and mid-summer. 
• Crime has been reduced in Oklahoma and that's a good thing.

Arizona: 

• There were 64% more murders in Arizona. 
• 25 - 29 year old men still commit the largest percentage of offenses.
• In Arizona 56% of murder victims knew their killer, i.e. spouses, family, friends, acquaintances.
• Burglary of cars and houses are still the largest crimes committed in Arizona, with shoplifting a close third.
• Adults were the largest percentage of arsonists in Arizona during 2012.
• Marijuana-related crime (possession, DUI) account for the majority of drug offense arrests.
• DUI's comprise 11% of specific arrests.
• Arizona has a higher crime clearance rate than Oklahoma.

So what did I learn from reading these reports? Well, first of all crime pretty much looks the same between the two places, but the total population is very different. Arizona has a population 58% larger than Oklahoma. Arizona is roughly 1.5 times larger than the land area of Oklahoma. Arizona has the majority of its crime-committing population in its larger cities, just as in Oklahoma. My conclusion from all this data is that really it is a wash. Crime is crime. If it was predictable we wouldn't have it. Simple  as that. I am going to go out on a limb and say that I think I will be safer overall in Oklahoma because criminals rarely drive out to the sticks to rob a Shouse. I simply would not have anything of value for the average criminal. Last time I checked there was no real black market for butter churns. 

How can I help ensure that I don't hang out a shingle to criminals? Lock my car at night, shut and lock windows, lock the front door. Keep my dog loose so he can do his guard-dog duty. Secure valuables out of site. The same things you should do whether you live in the city or out in the sticks. 

Interested in looking up the statistics I found? Click on the state of your choice above. You may also want to check out the US Census site at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html#.  You can find all kinds of neat data specific to your state, county, or city (any city over 5,000 in population). 

Be safe!