Is Long Beach Safe? (10 Reasons It Is Not)

 

When you don’t live in California, it may seem as though the state has everything to offer.

People are often overly impressed with the weather, the opulent homes, the access to entertainment, and more.

Certainly, everything about the state makes it seem like a dreamland.

However, those who live in Long Beach will tell you that there are issues with certain areas in California.

Not all spots in the state are going to be as safe and enjoyable as others.

One of those spots is Long Beach, California.

This area has long been questioned for its safety.

Those that are moving to Long Beach and those who are simply looking for a California vacation should understand what it is about Long Beach that makes it a bit unsafe.

Here are ten reasons Long Beach is not all that safe and what you should do about it.

 

Is Long Beach Safe? (10 Reasons It Is Not)

 

1. High Unemployment

 

Unemployment is a problem that will impact the majority of the United States.

Although we have federal averages for unemployment, these rates are also broken down by certain areas.

The unemployment rate in Long Beach is quite a bit higher than it is in other areas.

Unfortunately, when unemployment rates are a bit high, the people get angry, and they’re struggling to make money, and sometimes this leads to crime.

One of the best ways to help reduce the crime rate in Long Beach is to help people get jobs and find productive ways to spend their time and stay involved positively in the community.

This process is easier said than done because of the issues with a high cost of living.

Those who are living in Long Beach have a very high cost of living, and most work one or sometimes more than one job to make ends meet.

With all of these people trying to make ends meet, the overall opportunity in Long Beach is not all that high, and it causes a high rate of unemployment.

In addition, with commercial property being so highly-priced, companies are not moving to Long Beach at a very fast pace.

 

2. Distracted People

 

Another reason that Long Beach is not all that safe is that the people there are quite distracted.

This is something that is easy for people to fall into because of all that goes on in the Long Beach area.

For those who are interested in visiting the Long Beach area, you will quickly find that there are plenty of great entertainment attractions and things to enjoy with family and friends.

Distracted people are subject to crimes because they are not paying nearly as much attention as those who are serious about what they are doing and paying close attention.

We get that it’s essential to go to Long Beach and have fun, but staying completely distracted the entire time could lead to some long-term issues.

If you are aware of your surroundings, you can still have fun but stay safe at the same time.

When you hear about the crime rate in an area, keep in mind the fact that many people may be distracted by the overall experience of living in Long Beach, and this leads to higher overall crime rates.

 

3. Crime Rates Increasing

 

Another reason that we are calling Long Beach a bit dangerous is that the crime rate is actually moving up.

For those who know anything about the crime rates in cities and how this works, you will always want to see a general decrease in the rates.

When you see that even after the city is known for being a bit unsafe, it is still increasing in crime, this is a bad sign.

This means that even though certain measures are being put into place, they are not working to keep crime at bay.

It’s hard to put Long Beach on a list of safe cities in California when the crime rates continue to go up year after year.

Although leaders and officials recognize crime as an issue, sometimes they are doing all that they can to ensure that the city stays safe.

Other economic or environmental factors will impact and increase these crime rates.

Overall, the crime rate of any area you visit or plan to live in should be something you look up and consider before you arrive in one of these areas.

 

4. Extreme Real Estate Costs

 

The real estate costs in Long Beach are some of the highest in the country.

Although this is an excellent thing for the people who live there and purchased a home many years ago, it is difficult for those who are trying to make it in the Long Beach area.

When the pricing of the real estate is high, the rental cost will also be very high.

The high cost of real estate in a city like this can increase the rate of crime while people are trying to figure out ways to make it and succeed.

Essentially, if you are trying to afford to live in Long Beach, it is going to require quite a bit of effort.

When you combine that with the higher unemployment rates, the situation just compounds itself.

There is nothing that can be done about this real estate cost issue currently, as the mortgage rates are at historic lows.

When the mortgage rates are low like this, people can take out a larger mortgage and afford a more expensive home.

In the end, this gives sellers the upper hand and allows them to charge extreme amounts for their homes.

The cycle is not a good one, and it is going to increase the overall crime rate through the years.

 

5. Good And Bad Areas

 

Another reason that the Long Beach area is not as safe as it could be is that there are both good and bad areas in Long Beach.

This means that you will need to do some research to understand if the area you are visiting or moving to is actually safe.

Within the city of Long Beach, many of the neighborhoods are very dangerous, and others are not dangerous at all.

It takes time to understand which of these spots are worth spending time in, and until you do, you must remain careful.

The good and bad areas of Long Beach are not going to be well defined, and it may even take some local knowledge to know where you are and the risks that you may be facing.

Try to talk to someone who has been to the area to see what information you can collect.

 

6. Stressful To Make Ends Meet

 

The crime rate in Long Beach is high.

Typically speaking, a crime rate does not increase significantly unless there is a good reason behind it.

Crime rates increase typically because people need money.

Much of the crime that occurs in Long Beach is simply from the people who are trying to pay their bills and ensure that they can feed their families.

If you are a victim of this crime, it is, of course, a bit difficult to understand this, and you will now be quite stressed out because of your crime issues.

The idea is that until the overall cost of living and way of life gets easier for many in the Long Beach area, we will likely see the crime rate stay relatively high.

 

7. Car Crimes

 

Car crimes are another issue that is extreme in the Long Beach area.

If you are new to Long Beach, you will have to be very careful as to where you park your car.

Of course, there is limited parking, and the parking that you will have access to is going to be expensive.

There are usually high monthly costs associated with this parking, and the security in the parking garages is not always all that impressive.

Essentially, you have to be very careful when you have a car in the Long Beach area.

Although thieves are going to want the entire car from time to time, this is a rarer crime.

The most common crime is a car getting broken into and the valuables being stolen.

It is recommended to never leave valuables in your car when you are in the Long Beach area.

Even though we know this is an issue in Long Beach specifically, it is never really a good idea to leave costly things in your car anywhere, especially overnight.

 

8. Parking Issues

 

There are some major parking issues in Long Beach, and it can lead to higher crime rates.

The parking issues that you run into will mean that you are not always going to have a full view of your car when you are in your home or even at a restaurant.

If you think about taking your cell phone and putting it on the side of the curb a few blocks down from you, you likely expect that the phone will be stolen or damaged.

Although this is not exactly the same case as parking a car around the corner, you can see how it would lead to potential issues and higher crime rates.

The city of Long Beach cannot get any bigger, so the overall issues with car crimes and parking are not going to get all that much better.

One thing to keep in mind is that some Long Beach residents decide to get rid of their cars entirely.

This would be the best possible thing for the city to have fewer car issues to deal with and hopefully lower the car crime rates overall.

 

9. Not Enough Police Presence

 

When crime rates are high in a city, the police presence is increased.

In an area like Long Beach, where the crime is high, the police are busy dealing with issues that come up with citizens and crime on a daily basis.

This, of course, takes the police off the street and has them tied up with these issues that will come into play.

Of course, the problem is that there are just not enough officers to monitor the streets of Long Beach at all times.

Even with the higher real estate and tax revenue, the number of police officers needed to help completely eliminate crime in Long Beach would be impossible to find.

The more that Long Beach can do to help increase police presence, the safer the city will become.

Those who are thinking about committing a crime will often decide against it if they know their chances of getting caught are higher.

Hopefully, with the addition of more video surveillance and increased police, Long Beach can become safe yet again.

Only time will tell.

 

10. Too Many Other Better Areas (Competition)

 

Last but certainly not least is the fact that Long Beach is not the only area in California that people have the option to live in or travel to.

There are hundreds of great cities in the state that are quite a bit safer than Long Beach.

This means that people will avoid moving to Long Beach.

When this happens, the crime rates stay as they are because there are no new influences being brought in to make the bad areas a bit better.

Think about tourists who are searching for areas to visit, and they see information on the crime rates in Long Beach.

Chances are people will choose a different area to visit and decide on a trip that is a bit less dangerous.

As you can see, this does nothing to help the Long Beach area.

The crimes will still happen, there won’t be as much money from tourism, and the cycle will be challenging to break.

You must be willing to risk the high crime rates in Long Beach, yet most will tell you the risks are worth the rewards.

Nothing, not even high crime, can take away the fact that Long Beach, California, is an excellent spot in the United States.

 

Tips For Staying Safe In Long Beach

 

As you can see from our top ten reasons, some of the issues with safety are caused by the victim, and others are completely out of the control of the victim.

The crime type that people often fear the most is random violent crime.

Random crimes are scary because you never know when they will happen and the impact that they could have.

Luckily, these random crimes can be rare for those who are careful about how they are going about spending their time in the Long Beach area.

Here are some tips that you should consider if you are planning on heading to Long Beach or you live there currently and want to stay safe.

 

1. Do Your Research

If you are moving to or have decided to travel to the Long Beach area, you must first do a little bit of research.

It is important to remember that Long Beach is not known specifically for being dangerous throughout all areas.

There are plenty of spots in Long Beach that will be family-friendly and allow you to let your guard down.

However, there are also the spots where you must remain vigilant the entire time you are visiting.

Essentially, if you do your research, you can learn more about the specific areas inside Long Beach and learn which ones will make sense to spend time in.

Sometimes you will find that the area you had intended to stay in is actually one of the least safe areas in Long Beach.

If you didn’t do your research, this information would have never come up, and you could have ended up with a poor vacation or making a poor moving decision.

Essentially, if you are going to be in the Long Beach area, you first need to do some research, so you know exactly what you will be doing and where it is located.

It is easy to find the specifics about an area based on the information you can find online.

This information will help you decide where you should and shouldn’t be spending time in the Long Beach area.

Although you will end up having to take some time to do this research, in the end, it will be worth the time.

 

2. Stay Aware

Regardless of whether you are in Long Beach, Los Angeles, or San Diego, you must always remain aware of your surroundings.

The people who are unfortunately going to fall victim to a crime are often those who are not paying attention to their surroundings.

It is unfortunate but true that, many times, when you are too trusting in an area, you will end up with something stolen or a bad experience in general.

You must always stay aware of everything and everyone around you.

This can be hard to do with all of the distractions in the Long Beach area, but you really will have no choice but to keep your head in the game and be aware of any situations that could come up.

Overall, staying aware while in Long Beach will take some initial research and practice, so make sure that you know the area very well.

 

3. Consider Other Areas

Of course, one way to stay safe in Long Beach is to avoid it completely.

Some people will decide that it makes more sense to consider other areas than to go to Long Beach.

If you are traveling to Long Beach for a specific reason, it may be hard to avoid the area.

However, there are plenty of other locations in the state of California that can give you a unique experience and probably cost a bit less money.

This is entirely up to you, but keep it in mind as an option.

There are many great places in California that will be well worth seeing.

 

4. Don’t Look Like A Tourist

Looking like a tourist is dangerous.

If people think that you are traveling, they may try to mislead you, even if they come off as being friendly.

It is essential that you make yourself fit in and look like a local resident as opposed to a tourist.

By doing a bit of research on the Long Beach area and understanding where things are and how to get to them, you will look like a professional.

In addition, try to take some social cues from the people around you, how they act, how they dress, etc.

Not that you want to conform yourself to them, but you do want to ensure that you are not sticking out and calling attention to yourself.

There are millions of tourists who head to the Long Beach area every year who do not do any research on the area before arriving.

In the end, these people often end up slightly lost and victim to a crime of some sort.

 

5. Lock That Car!

One of the most popular types of crime in the Long Beach area is car or vehicle crimes.

The parking situation in Long Beach can be tough.

This means that you may need to park your car far from your home.

There are a few problems with this, yet it mostly has to do with the fact that you cannot watch or monitor your car.

Your car is down the block as opposed to directly in front of you while you enjoy a meal, stay overnight, or even visit a local attraction.

Unfortunately, the thieves know that your car is unattended, and they will often break into it when you walk away.

Of course, the people this happens to most often are those who don’t lock the doors of their car.

The number one way to avoid your car being stolen is to lock the doors of the car.

Simply make it a habit to lock the doors of your car.

Chances are, if your car is locked and you are not storing valuables in the car itself, you can make it through your Long Beach vacation without falling victim to a car crime.

The idea is to make it as difficult as possible for a thief who may be interested in stealing from you.

The more trouble they have to go through to get to your belongings, the lower your chances of having them stolen.

 

Conclusion

Hopefully, you can now understand why Long Beach is considered a bit dangerous.

This, of course, does not mean that if you go to the Long Beach area, you are going to be a victim of a crime.

Instead, this is a warning to remain vigilant at all times.

If you prefer traveling to some of the safer areas in California, that is entirely understandable.

Not only is Long Beach within the top ten least safe areas in California, but it also makes the list of America’s top one hundred dangerous cities.

This is a shame based on the location and the number of amazing entertainment venues that Long Beach has to offer.

Over time, we hope to be able to edit this review of Long Beach and tell you that it has become one of the safest cities in America.

Although this kind of change is hard, it is absolutely possible and something that could help the tourism rates in Long Beach.