Parents of Prospective Chico State Students,
I moved to Chico in 1974 to attend CSUC and fell in love with the town. If I were visiting Chico today with a prospective student, I would not even consider it. Crime in Chico is off the charts. The downtown area (especially the plaza area) is overrun with dangerous transients. Our beautiful Bidwell Park, and most all areas of Chico are overrun with transients. Break-ins, car thefts, drugs, assaults, shootings, stabbings and all manner of crime is plaguing Chico and the police are overwhelmed. The citizens of Chico are becoming increasingly frustrated with the city council’s focus on climate change resolutions and pot dispensaries in city limits and their refusal to address public safety. They are determined to adopt the same resolutions that have plagued Seattle and San Francisco. You can be sure that the city will be scrubbed and transients will be cleared from downtown in preparation for the upcoming Choose Chico weekend, but to see the reality of what Chico has become you should plan a visit on an off weekend and see what goes on during a typical Sunday in the downtown plaza. You will think twice about moving your son or daughter to such a dangerous city. My wife and I are waiting for the day we can relocate.
This sounds exactly like the situation in the town I live in, just south of San Francisco. The majority of city council members were more concerned with saving the world than saving the city. Fortunately, the city council member who most exemplified that was voted out of office in the last election.
@awrman- I agree with you that crime is increasing. Just this past weekend there was a pretty bad wreck and a shooting at a party this weekend over a dispute. Unfortunately, Chico is well-known for having a pretty high homeless population as you can surely see (one of the highest in California for that matter). But all those things happen in every city (although you’ve been out here longer then I have so I’m sure your experiences are much different then mine). I definitely agree with you in coming here on an off weekend. It’s much different then what Choose Chico Day will be like.
Like any other city, it has it’s good and bad, and the problems that come with it.
I would be worried if I had a student living in the college district. It is especially scary there at night and students are at great risk in and around the campus after nightfall. There was a woman murdered on campus last year and there are frequent crime issues along the bike path that runs to the west of the campus. Chico is not the sleepy little college town that so many in the Bay Area imagine.
Unfortunately homelessness and petty or property crimes are increasing in most communities so, that’s far from exclusive to Chico. I am sure the Camp fire’s lingering effects are still being felt in the form of congestion, rising rents and tight housing supply. Some of that will change as some of the displaced people settle into permanent residences elsewhere in the coming months but it is a tough thing to combat. Right now, there’s a big homeless encampment along the American River, a stone’s throw from my alma-mater Sac State. The campus also had more than 10 car break-ins in one day a few months ago. I expect the same is true at/near most colleges of any size so, that will be tough to avoid at any CSU…
A funny aside, many moons ago I visited Sac State as a perspective student on an open house day. The campus was perfectly manicured and a beautiful fountain was burbling in the center of campus. Fast-forward a few months and then years, i never saw the fountain on again… my point being, of course schools work hard to present their best selves to potential students on official Admitted Student days. That’s been true for a long time. That’s why I encourage people to visit on a regular school day and to talk to existing students - that’s the only way you will get a sense of what it is really like.
My son will be heading to Chico State this fall so this has been an issue that weighs heavily on me, and I have asked around about it on numerous Chico-local forums. While crime and homelessness definitely seems to be an issue in Chico, I’m wondering if some of it is perspective. From those who are used to living in smaller towns, it probably seems like a huge issue. I live in the Bay Area, and while I feel very safe in my suburban neighborhood, I lived in SF for 15 years and am used to the break-ins (my car was stolen twice and broken into numerous times), crime, and transient issues. Even in the downtown area of my tony county just a few miles from our “million dollar” neighborhood there are a lot of homeless and crime issues, including violent crime. San Jose (around the University) has the same issues. I went to UC Berkeley and it was definitely an issue even back then - there was a shooting on a street corner next to the University just minutes after I had walked away. So I’m trying to gauge the issues in Chico against the crime I am already familiar with, and wondering if it is really worse than that, or does it seem worse because it is against the backdrop of an otherwise small, close knit, sleepy community. But no doubt, this is my biggest concern about him going away to Chico.
@arwrman - the risk is there of course, but that’s we always have to stay vigilant. I live on Nord and west sac but the more on 2nd you go, the crazier it starts getting, and in around where the new development just opened (the urban). I remember the murder last year, and it was unfortunate. And sadly that’s true, it’s definitely not a sleepy college town many people think it is. That crime has been there for as long for a long time.
@NCalRent - oh yes. The effects of the camp fire are still being felt. People here lost every thing from it but like you said things will get better as time goes on.
@OceanRF- the only difference from what I gather is that the Bay Area is a lot more suburban and is closer to big cities. Chico isn’t. Chico is rural and isolated from a lot of big cities. Like I say, as long as you stay vigilant and keep your head down, you’ll be fine. Tell him to stay in well lit areas and to be around people hell trust. There are parts of Chico that aren’t nice and parts to avoid, but he’ll be fine as long as he’s got a good head on his shoulders. And he likes small towns lol. It can definitely take some getting used to.
It was recently announced that a new low barrier shelter will open soon at 388 Orange Street next to Chico State and very near Notre Dame School and Rosedale Elementary School. This does not seem like the best location for this service. A more suitable location would have been consolidating this shelter near the Torres Shelter and near the future location for The Jesus Center.
Chico State is the most dangerous California State University Campus in California according to the FBI crime statistics. Here is a summary of findings drawn from the data:
Of all State Colleges, Chico State has the highest rate of violent crimes when normalized by population. In a population of 17,557 students, the rate of violent crime is 12.53/1,000 students. The safest campus in the system is 1.98/1,000.
Of all the cities in California during the 2016/2017 reporting years, Chico ranked 404th from the top for the 461 cities.
The safest city was Lafayette
Since 2010 Chico has gone from a low of the rank of 248/460 to a dismal 404th in 2017. Our best year, 2011 ranked us in the 54th percentile. In 2017 we were in the 88th percentile. That means only 18% of cities had more crime than Chico.You can check it out on the FBI:UCR 2017 Crime in the United States website…
hi i’m an actual chico state student and i actually live in chico and know what it’s like unlike people outside who just assume things about it, i’m originally from los gatos california which is a really expensive nice area of silicon valley so i am not used to many crime. i can confidently say i have never felt unsafe in chico ever. I go out to the parties at night all the time and walk around the downtown late at night all the time too. i am an 18 year old girl and have never felt threatened at all. everyone in chico is so nice. even our homeless population is nice. they may ask you for money if you walk by them but never get angry or upset by you not giving them any. i always say i’m sorry i don’t have cash because i never do and they always say don’t be sorry! have a great day! yes my friends car has been broken into before but it’s only because she forgot to lock it. i walk everywhere from my dorm whether it be in the dark or light and have never had a bad experience. as long as you’re smart for example, lock your car, walk in groups, and walk in well lit areas everything is fine. sometimes if i’m desperate i have walked home alone and never had issues and since there is a party life the downtown is always full of nice college kids willing to walk home with you or call you an uber even if they don’t know you! that’s what i love about chico the community! everyone genuinely wants everyone to be safe and cared for!