A new study says that four places in Vermont are among the “most dangerous” in the US. It’s important to understand the facts and context behind the report, even if the label seems scary. This piece will give you an overview of the four Vermont towns that made the list and the crime rates that made them eligible.
1. Rutland
Rutland is the third-biggest city in Vermont and the biggest city in Rutland County. The study says that Rutland has a higher crime rate than most cities in the state. There were a total of 1,149 crimes recorded in Rutland in 2020. There were 113 violent crimes and 1,036 property crimes. About 177.8 out of every 100,000 people lived in the area, and 1,642.6 out of every 100,000 lived in the area.
2. Burlington
It is the county home of Chittenden County and the state’s biggest city. The study says that Burlington has a high crime rate compared to other cities in the state. There were a total of 1,728 crimes recorded in Burlington in 2020. There were 147 violent crimes and 1,581 property crimes. It was 247.7 crimes against people per 100,000 people, and it was 2,281.7 crimes against property per 100,000 people.
3. Barre
Barre is the county seat of Washington County and the fourth-biggest city in Vermont. According to the study, Barre has a higher crime rate than other cities in the state. In 2020, 571 crimes were recorded in Barre. Of these, 50 were violent crimes and 521 were property crimes. It was 234.2 crimes against people per 100,000 people, and 2,116.6 crimes against property per 100,000 people.
4. Winooski
There is a city called Winooski in Chittenden County. It is in the Burlington urban area. The study says that compared to other cities in the state, Winooski has a high crime rate. There were 313 crimes recorded in Winooski in 2020. There were 21 violent crimes and 292 property crimes. It was 336.3 serious crimes for every 100,000 people who lived there, and 3,410.4 property crimes for every 100,000 people who lived there.
What steps is Vermont taking to make things safer?
Several steps are being taken in different areas of Vermont to make the state safer.
Transportation: Vermont’s transportation got a “C” score on the 2021 Transportation Report Card, which means it needs a lot of work. The study talks about the state’s old infrastructure and the large amount of work that needs to be done to fix it. To deal with these problems, Vermont has used government pandemic funds to improve the water, sewer, and wastewater systems, built more broadband connections, and used the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make real changes.
In particular, safety improvements have been made at the Burlington International Airport by fixing up the terminal and the runway access control system. Additionally, perimeter fences have been put up at several state airports and obstacles have been taken down at all airports.
In Vermont, the amount of bridges in bad shape has gone down to 2.4% of the total inventory, which means the bridges now get a “B-” grade. But roads still only got a “C+,” and since the 2019 report card, the number of traffic deaths has doubled, from 0.64 per 100 million vehicle miles to 1.2 per 100 million vehicle miles.
Flood Safety: The Vermont Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy pushed forward S.213, the Flood Safety Act, in response to the deadly floods of 2023 and climate predictions that show future flooding will get worse and happen more often.
This bill wants to lower the chance of flooding in the future and make towns stronger by putting in place rules that protect recreational opportunities, provide clean water for drinking, encourage biodiversity, and improve public health.
Management of Safety: The Vermont Department of Labor’s Pillars of Safety Management show employers, workers, and worker representatives how businesses in Vermont deal with health and safety problems at work.
These pillars stress the importance of improving safety and health all the time, getting workers involved, finding and controlling hazards, and keeping an eye on and evaluating programs.
Public Health Preparedness: The Vermont Department of Health offers resources to help people stay safe during storms. These resources show how flooding can hurt health and safety.
Traffic Safety: The Vermont Agency of Transportation has put together a list of tools to help make roads safer and slower, with a focus on different ways to make traffic safer.
Overall, these steps show a thorough plan to make Vermont safer by tackling issues like infrastructure, flood risk, safety management, public health preparation, and traffic safety.
In conclusion
It may be scary to be called “most dangerous,” but it’s important to know what the facts and context behind the report mean. This list includes four towns in Vermont. These towns have higher crime rates than other cities in Vermont, but still lower crime rates than many US places. Also, keep in mind that crime rates change every year, and the information in this study is from 2020.
Locals and tourists shouldn’t be scared off from coming or living in these towns because of the report. Instead, they should lock their doors, be aware of their surroundings, and stay away from places with a lot of crime, just like they would in any city or town. People who live in or visit these Vermont towns can enjoy everything they have to offer without worrying about crime if they follow these steps.