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Are Boston's Neighborhoods Safe?
Posted By: twhite on June 25, 2009, 9:37 am
As Realtors, we often get asked about the "safety" of a neighborhood, or about the crime rate within a community. Although we may have our own personal opinion on whether a particular neighborhood is "safe," it is just that--an opinion, not a fact. Furthermore, a Realtor who does offer up an opinion on safety or crime rates may well be violating the Federal Fair Housing Act which was designed to ensure all people--regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap--have equal rights to own or rent a property, and are not discriminated against. Effectively, what this means is that a real estate professional cannot answer the question about whether or not a neighborhood is safe--even if a client asks.
What we can do and have done historically, is to direct the client to the local police station where they can get factual information on crime in a given neighborhood. Unfortunately, for a lot of real estate buyer-clients this is an inconvenience--yet another place they must go to collect information on an area in which they are considering a purchase that may have an effect on their buying decision. In the end, some buyers do go to the local police station to check the crime rates, some don't--perhaps because they just didn't get around to it.
Still, this kind of information is important to know, but if only it could be more easily accessible.
Well, I have some good news to report on crime in Boston (no kidding). Recently, the Boston Police Department announced that they will now be displaying data on city wide crimes using the website www.crimereports.com. This website allows citizens to access information on crime that occurs citywide or locally, simply by typing in a location. The crime reports are updated daily, go back six (6) months and are conveniently displayed on Google maps. You can also sign-up for a crime report email update.
This is good news for current and future residents of Boston, real estate professionals and anyone else who has a need for easy and convenient access to crime-related information. As a real estate professional I am excited because I can now direct my clients to a great resource for them to learn more about a particular Boston neighborhood. This kind of transparency is a good thing for the community as a whole and allows me to provide added value to my clients and customers. Check it out!
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