Most dangerous states: Crime rankings for 2010
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Apr 5th 2010 at 6:00AM
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Better lock your doors! The results of CQ Press's annual State Crime Rankings are in and, for some states, the results aren't pretty. For nearly two decades, these rankings have shown how the 50 states compare against the national average for six crimes: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.

According to CQ Press, the six categories are compared to the national reported crime rates and then indexed (with each of the crimes carrying equal weight) to create a summary score and ranking. Larceny-theft, which accounts for 59% of all reported crimes in America, is not included as part of this report because the FBI and other criminologists concluded in 2004 that this was no longer a true indicator of crime.

In this year's ranking, Delaware saw the biggest increase in crime -- falling 10 places from the 17th most dangerous state last year to the 7th most dangerous this year. Other states that have become more dangerous include Rhode Island (it fell nine places in the rankings) and Connecticut (now six places lower). The states that saw the biggest improvements over the past year include Michigan and Alaska. Each rose seven spots in the rankings. Poor Nevada, however, can't seem to catch a break. The state has the dubious honor of topping CQ's list of most dangerous states for the seventh year in a row.

How did the other states fare? Join us as we reveal which 15 states were ranked as the most dangerous for 2010.

Did your state make the list?
Crime Rate Rankings (out of 50 states)
(1 = Worst, 50 = Best)

No. 1: NEVADA
Assault: 8
Burglary: 12
Murder: 13
Motor Vehicle Theft: 1
Rape: 8
Robbery: 1

No. 2: NEW MEXICO
Assault: 5
Burglary: 3
Murder: 6
Motor Vehicle Theft: 7
Rape: 2
Robbery: 23

No. 3: LOUISIANA
Assault: 4
Burglary: 9
Murder: 1
Motor Vehicle Theft: 14
Rape: 33
Robbery: 18

No. 4: SOUTH CAROLINA
Assault: 1
Burglary: 8
Murder: 7
Motor Vehicle Theft: 9
Rape: 13
Robbery: 16

No. 5: TENNESSEE
Assault: 2
Burglary: 5
Murder: 8
Motor Vehicle Theft: 15
Rape: 19
Robbery: 8

No. 6: FLORIDA
Assault: 6
Burglary: 7
Murder: 12
Motor Vehicle Theft: 13
Rape: 23
Robbery: 4

No. 7: DELAWARE
Assault: 7
Burglary: 18
Murder: 10
Motor Vehicle Theft: 19
Rape: 9
Robbery: 3

No. 8: MARYLAND
Assault: 10
Burglary: 23
Murder: 2
Motor Vehicle Theft: 4
Rape: 45
Robbery: 2

No. 9: ARIZONA
Assault: 21
Burglary: 15
Murder: 13
Motor Vehicle Theft: 2
Rape: 39
Robbery: 15

No. 10: ARKANSAS
Assault: 11
Burglary: 2
Murder: 18
Motor Vehicle Theft: 32
Rape: 4
Robbery: 28

No. 11: ALABAMA
Assault: 22
Burglary: 4
Murder: 5
Motor Vehicle Theft: 21
Rape: 16
Robbery: 11

No. 12: GEORGIA
Assault: 20
Burglary: 6
Murder: 8
Motor Vehicle Theft: 6
Rape: 42
Robbery: 7

No. 13: OKLAHOMA
Assault: 9
Burglary: 10
Murder: 16
Motor Vehicle Theft: 18
Rape: 10
Robbery: 26

No. 14: ALASKA
Assault: 3
Burglary: 39
Murder: 28
Motor Vehicle Theft: 29
Rape: 1
Robbery: 30

No. 15: CALIFORNIA
Assault: 18
Burglary: 25
Murder: 16
Motor Vehicle Theft: 3
Rape: 41
Robbery: 5

See full article from WalletPop: http://srph.it/9CBEoi

Most of these states have the death penalty, I guess it works really well at deterring criminals, huh?

What a joke.

I can't believe Americans still buy into the barbaric and unintelligent idea of the death penalty.

I am waiting for the intelligence to sink in, it sure is taking a long time.

If you haven't noticed, the most notorious state for executing criminals, Texas, is not on that list. Having the death penalty means nothing if a state doesn't use it! In Texas if you kill somebody we'll kill you right back!

well, I was already moving from Nevada before I read this,,lol

but its interesting information dragoness,,thanx

Texas is not too far down the list. It only shows the top 15 for this year.

Texas death penalty only shows the ignorance of the people of that state in my eyes, nothing more.

My state, Maryland, has executed 5 people since 1976.

The state I live 10 minutes from, Delaware, has executed 14 people since 1976.

Hardly a deterrent when you don't actually practice it..

Colorado isn't that far ahead of Texas and it is a death penalty state. New Hampshire is the lowest state and it is a death penalty state.

Colorado death penalty has been determined unconstitutional and we haven't executed anyone in a very long time.

Okay I will change my wording of my opinion.

All death penalty supporters are ignorant in any state. They show the worse of human kind making them no better than criminals.

think about Nevada's crime. They have Las Vegas and a lot of desert. I saw a documentary about the jails in Vegas. They are overcrowded with drunks and minor crimes alone. They have the calmer ones sitting in waiting type rooms instead of holding cells because of over crowding. People from all over the country and world go to Vegas.

I don't see the death penalty being a factor since the states are intertwined between the death penalty states and the no death penalty states.

You, also, have to remember the size or population of each state as a factor for crime, as well.

And actually the size of the state makes a huge difference as well and the crowding level ie a small state with a large population tends to have greater stress levels it's human nature.
Also the whole list is based on all forms of crime, if they listed states using just the crime of murder, which is the only crime affected by the death penalty, the order would be completely different. So basically the OP assumption that the this report somehow backs her opinion is totally baseless.

Not true. Murder was counted as part of the deal and some states kill (death penalty) for other crimes besides murder. Murder is the one we see them kill for mostly.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/death-penalty-offenses-other-murder

Texas IS ranked 15th...here's the PDF, not sure what the OP's source is using to total it up...maybe just the top victimized crimes but overall here is the rankind.

http://os.cqpress.com/rankings/2010/Crime_State_Rankings_2010.pdf

10 of 15 are from nut-baggery leaning states...

Maybe the article printed it wrong.

I just can't help always noticing they are usually death penalty states that claim they are deterring crime by using the death penalty when really all they are showing are the barbaric and unintelligence of most of their states people in my opinion.

And is this some how suppose to add validity to the argument that burglary or other such crimes are some how associated with the use of the death penalty.
These are almost exclusively concerning the forcible rape of a child. I'm sorry if anyone deserves to die it's someone that does that.

You don't have the right to determine who dies and who lives.

I would feel really bad if either of my molestors had been killed in my name.

The death penalty shows ignorance, it doesn't do anything positive for anyone. It costs more than keeping the prisoner for life and again it just shows that the state or supporters are no different from the criminal. My opinion of course.

When it comes to crime, one always considers the death penalty since it is the stupid and ultimate punishment for any crime.

Again the death penalty is ignorant and shows that we humans have a long way to go to become the best humans we can be.

Intelligence enough to realize that the death penalty shows ignorance would be a great start, in my opinion.

Yes your opinion with absolutely nothing to back it up. Really you come in here with a wild claim that you have support for your opinion when really all you have is your opinion to basically insult millions of people calling them unintelligent and barbaric. Just how intelligent is that?

In "Don't Kill in Our Names: Families of Murder Victims Speak Out Against the Death Penalty," author Rachel King presents the stories of 10 Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation members. Throughout the book, King examines the reasons why these survivors choose reconciliation over retribution and why they actively oppose capital punishment. Using first-hand accounts and third-person narrative, King presents the stories in the context of the nation's on-going death penalty debate. King is legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. (Rutgers Press, 2003). For more information, visit Rutgers Press.

The truth is sometimes ugly and uncomfortable to take.

My opinion is that.

Take it or leave it.

I do have plenty to back it up. The OP is a good start too.

http://www.mvfhr.org/