According to a recent study conducted by Vivint, a smart-home security company, several cities in the United States have been ranked among the top 10 most “unsafe” places during the holiday season. The research took into account various factors such as property crime data, Google search trends, and other security measures to determine the crime risk of the 50 largest cities in the country.

Topping the list as the most risky city during the holidays is St. Louis, Missouri, with a risk score of 62.492. Following closely behind is Newark, Delaware, with Salt Lake City, Utah, coming in third place. Denver, Colorado, and Seattle, Washington, also made it to the top five, with risk scores of 59.34 and 60.2, respectively. Burlington and Rutland, both located in Vermont, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Portland, Oregon, completed the list of the top 10 riskiest cities.

The Vivint report highlights that St. Louis, Salt Lake City, and Denver had the highest number of National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) reports per 100,000 people. Additionally, Newark, Delaware, and Rutland, Vermont, recorded the most online searches related to holiday crime.

Further analysis of the individual safety metrics revealed that Tacoma, Washington, had the highest number of crimes reported during the holidays per 100,000 people. Newark, Delaware, ranked first for Google searches related to holiday security, while Rockville, Maryland, had the largest percentage of Airbnb properties without security cameras.

Data also showed that Riverside, California, and St. Louis experienced the highest rate of vehicle thefts per 100,000 people. St. Louis, in particular, saw a significant 50% increase in vehicle thefts compared to the previous year. On the other hand, Little Rock, Arkansas, and North Charleston, South Carolina, were found to have the fewest neighborhood watch groups.

In contrast, the study identified the 10 cities that ranked lowest for holiday crime risk. These included Shreveport, Louisiana; Gulfport, Mississippi; Kansas City, Kansas; Oakland, California; North Las Vegas, Nevada; Santa Ana, California; Montgomery, Alabama; Glendale, Arizona; Henderson, Nevada; and Jacksonville, Florida.

The Vivint study also shed light on the prevalence of property crime during the holiday season, with two in five U.S. homeowners reporting experiencing such incidents in the past two years. Furthermore, close to 50% of Americans who reported crimes during the holidays disclosed losses or damages exceeding $100. The report advised homeowners to be wary of signs that indicate an unoccupied house, such as lights being off, packages piling up, and an empty driveway.

In summary, the research conducted by Vivint has identified the top 10 most “unsafe” cities in the United States during the holiday season. The study takes into account various factors, including crime data, Google search trends, and security measures. It is hoped that such information will help individuals take appropriate precautions to ensure their safety and prevent property crime during the holidays.