“If it bleeds, it leads.” That’s been true of humanity’s collective attention since time immemorial; the dramatic tends to be noticed far more than the mundane. The ongoing criminal investigation drama playing out on the other side of the country and capturing the national imagination proves this point as well as any case in recent memory. The same holds true on a smaller scale, with arrest reports readily available from any local news outlet. It’s much more difficult to get people interested in the crime that didn’t happen. Safety isn’t as exciting as disorder, but when it comes to marketing Sanford and Lee County as a place to live, work, and thrive, it’s a critical story to tell.
One of the well-known benefits of living in a smaller community is the lower rate of serious crime. But does conventional wisdom bear out in reality for Sanford and Lee County? The violent crime rate per 100,000 people in the United States is 359, per the FBI. According to the North Carolina Office of Public Safety, our state does a bit better, at 312 per 100,000 people. Lee County? 142, less than half the state or national averages. This isn’t just a statistical difference; it’s a dramatic endorsement of Lee County as a safe place to live and work.
Our low crime rate doesn’t just make Sanford and Lee County better places to live; it makes them far more attractive places to open or move a business operation. From an investor’s perspective, there are myriad advantages to locating in a low-crime community: better employee retention, lower insurance and security needs, and ease of convincing critical staff to relocate to name just a few.
Further, one of the Sanford area’s key selling points as a community is our low cost of living. But for some of the low-cost communities in our country making a similar pitch, low prices come because of a high rate of crime and public disorder driving down livability. Sanford and Lee County’s low crime rate means they aren’t just offering low cost of living – they’re offering high value as well.
So, a low crime rate isn’t just a significant part of Sanford and Lee County’s great quality of life; it is an important component of our value proposition for investors. Continuing to invest in our public safety assets is crucial to maintaining this advantage, especially as our population grows. But just as important is ensuring the story of our area’s safety, while not as eye-catching as stories about crime, continues to be told and celebrated.