Lawrenceville is a vibrant suburban city nestled on the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northwest Georgia. Incorporated in 1821, this peaceful city is a suburb of Atlanta and is home to several lovely parks, top-rated shopping centers, art studios, great restaurants, and a charming historic downtown area. Lawrenceville proves to be especially ideal for families and singles who appreciate the city’s convenient location close to several big city amenities while still maintaining a peaceful country ambiance. If you’re thinking about moving here from a different city or state, you probably want to know if living in Lawrenceville is safe – let’s check it out!
Lawrenceville is one of the cities in Gwinnett County that enforces safety and educational programs via The Gwinnett County Police Department Crime Prevention Unit. This unit provides crime prevention literature and materials to help citizens deal with or stay away from becoming a victim.
Is Lawrenceville safe? And is Lawrenceville safer than Atlanta? Overall, Lawrenceville has a moderate to higher-than-average amount of crime in contrast to many equally sized or larger cities in Georgia. Like almost every city, there are areas that should be avoided if possible. While the crime here isn’t perfect, you’ll find there are many areas and neighborhoods in Lawrenceville that are very safe and family-friendly.
We’ve created this comprehensive Lawrenceville GA crime rate guide to help you understand the city’s crime rates, bad areas in Lawrenceville, and safest neighborhoods.
Note: All data comes from the FBI Crime Reporting Statistics of 2020.
Understanding the Lawrenceville GA Crime Rate – How Are Crime Rates Calculated
The easiest and most common way to decide if a city is safe or not is to search up the city’s crime rate. There is a method used that provides a basic crime rate for cities of varying populations. When you divide the number of reported crimes by the total population, this is how you calculate a city’s crime rate in the United States. Then, this number is multiplied by 100,000, which leaves the annual scale of crime instances per 100k population. To find crime rates that are calculated with this method, you can visit the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics (UCR). However, keep in mind that the FBI discourages comparing cities based on their crime rate due to the chances of misleading information.
So, how exactly are crimes calculated if they aren’t all equal? While there are numerous different offenses that could be possibly committed, the only crimes considered in crime rates are index crimes. The two main categories of crime rate statistics are property crimes and violent crimes. Property crimes include shoplifting, larceny, theft, burglary, arson, and vandalism. On the flip side, violent crimes include murder, battery, rape, assault, manslaughter, homicide, kidnapping, and other more dangerous matters. The determination of the crimes is often left to the subjective opinion of law enforcement due to the fact that many crimes lack equal definitions across varying states.
While researching crime rates is a good starting point, crime rates should not be the key factor when determining if a city is safe overall. A misleading crime rate can be caused by many things, such as:
- Unreported crimes (sexual assault, domestic violence, etc.).
- One aspect of the crime trends can improve while another aspect becomes worse. For example, the overall crime rate can drop despite there being an increase in homicide.
- Unique factors can be overlooked, such as the target and the assailant knowing each other.
- Crime rates typically don’t include shooting alone.
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting System (UCR) is gradually being replaced by the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) because the NIBRS collects 12 more index crimes than the UCR. It further collects more data in general and differentiates between crimes that were attempted versus completed. While there has been improvement, the system still has imperfections, like misleading high and rising crime rates.
What is the Lawrenceville Crime Rate?
Let’s take a look at the Lawrenceville crime rate. The total crime rate per 100k people in Lawrenceville GA is 2,845. This means there is a 1 in 35 chance of being a victim of crime. If we break it down even more, the violent crime in Lawrenceville is 675 per 100k people, which gives you a one in 148 chance of being a victim of violent crime. Regarding property crime in Lawrenceville, there is a crime rate of 2,169 which indicates you have a 1 in 46 chance of being a property crime victim.
How does the safety of Lawrenceville compare to the safety of Atlanta and the U.S.? According to the FBI, the total crime rate in Lawrenceville is 18.2% higher than the Georgia average and 21.3% higher than the national average. The Georgia crime rate is 2,407 per 100,00 people giving you a 1 in 42 chance of being a victim of crime.
The total crime rate in Atlanta is 5,423 per 100k people– that’s 118% higher than the country. This is alarming when compared to Lawrencville’s crime rate of 2,845. All things considered, Lawrenceville has a significantly better crime rate than Atlanta.
Lawrenceville Crime Map and Crime Reports
While there is no official crime map for Lawrenceville GA, you can find more information by using the Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer. Simply select the state of Georgia and the Lawrenceville Police Department. If you want to report a crime online or find Lawrenceville crime reports, the city’s official website and police department have all the information you need.
Violent Crime in Lawrenceville GA
The murder rate in Lawrenceville per 100k people is 5, which is about 43.2% lower than the state and 23.6% lower than the national average. In 2020, there was only 1 Lawrenceville murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, or Lawrenceville homicide.
The Lawrenceville violent crime rate per 100,000 people is 675. The majority of these crimes are aggravated assault– the rest include rape, manslaughter, robbery, and murder. The violent crime rate in Lawrenceville is 68.7% higher than the Georgia average and about 74.1% higher than the national average.
The chances of becoming a victim of violent crime in Lawrenceville is 1 in 148, which is higher than the state and national average.
Property Crime in Lawrenceville GA
The property crime rate per 100,000 people in Lawrenceville is 2,169, which is 8.1% higher than the state and about 10.8% higher than the nation. Property crime is mostly made up of larceny theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. The chances of becoming a victim of property crime in Lawrenceville is 1 in 46.
Is Lawrenceville safer than Atlanta? Not only is the overall crime rate much lower in Lawrenceville than in Atlanta, but both violent and property crimes are significantly lower as well. Compared to the U.S. average, the violent crime rate in Atlanta is 105% higher, whereas that of Lawrenceville is 74.1% higher. Likewise, Atlanta’s property crime rate is a staggering 138% higher than the national average, while Lawrencville’s is 10.8% higher.
High Crime Areas in Lawrenceville
Curious about which parts of Lawrenceville GA are unsafe or dangerous? It’s good to remember that even the most peaceful cities in the U.S. have not-so-good areas. The northern parts of Lawrenceville GA tend to have the lowest crime rates, whereas the highest amount of crime in Lawrenceville is focused toward the west and central parts of the city. Below are a few areas in Lawrenceville that are best to be avoided:
- City Center has several fun places to go, including a top-rated park, a performing arts theater, and several tasty restaurants. However, like most downtowns, this central area is especially prone to 9-11 calls and police engagements.
- Old Norcross Rd / Monfort Rd portrays similar crime rates to the city center. While there are plenty of amenities to take advantage of, this area is best for visiting rather than living due to the high crime rates.
- Jefferson Station is situated on the far east of Lawrenceville. This neighborhood also experiences high rates of crime as opposed to the state and U.S. average.
Many of the high-crime areas in Lawrenceville branch off of U.S. Route 29 that runs through the city.
Safe Neighborhoods in Lawrenceville, GA
New Listing! $500,000.00, 5BR, 4BA, 2325 Turtle Creek Way, LAWRENCEVILLE, GA 30043, Full Details https://t.co/ziYpP7lYwA pic.twitter.com/gYXl5uwz26
— Scott Sherard (@realtorneighbor) August 2, 2021
According to Lawrenceville crime statistics, much of the Lawrenceville crime is concentrated toward the west and downtown leaving many safe areas along the south and east parts of the city. Here are a few of them:
- Washington Park/Turtle Creek is located in the far northeast part of the city and is one of the more affluent neighborhoods.
- Callie Still Rd / Tribble Mill Rd sits on the southeastern tip of Lawrenceville and boasts a high level of safety as well as affordable prices.
- Five Forks is another great pristine and low-crime area in Lawrenceville that is great for raising a family.
In Lawrenceville GA, the further out you go from the west side and city center, the lower the crime rates tend to be. Lawrenceville has many safe areas along Grayson Hwy and Scenic Hwy N.
Campus Crime & Safety
For those attending Georgia Gwinnett College, here are bits of safety information to keep in mind:
- In 2019, the college had 11.53 incidents per 1,000 students. The majority of offenses that occur at Georgia Gwinnett College are disciplinary actions.
- Feel free to check out Georgia Gwinnett College Crime & Safety Reports as well as Georgia Gwinnett College Crime statistics. You can also report a crime on their website.
- Keep your mobile device on you in case of an unexpected situation.
- Lock your car and home before leaving to avoid break-ins.
- Stay alert of pick-pocketers and those with bad intentions. Trust your gut!
Lawrenceville Police Department
Below is information regarding the police department in Lawrenceville, Georgia:
- The city of Lawrenceville is served by the Lawrenceville Police Department with its 68 sworn officers.
- Chief of Police: John Mullin
- The Lawrenceville Police Department was established in 1874
- To access Lawrenceville police records, you must submit an open records request.
- You can access Lawrenceville police reports via the Gwinnett County website.
- Lawrenceville GA police headquarters: 300 Jackson St, Lawrenceville, GA 30046.
- Non-emergency number: (770) 963-2443.
Lawrenceville Crime FAQs
What is the Lawrenceville crime rate?
Lawrenceville has a crime rate of 2,845 per 100,000 people. This gives you a 1 in 35 chance of being a victim of crime.
Is Lawrenceville Georgia safe?
While there are higher rates of overall crime in the city, there are many safe and family-friendly areas in Lawrenceville to choose from.
Is Lawrenceville safer than Atlanta?
The crime rate in Lawrenceville is 2,845 per 100k people, whereas the Atlanta crime rate is 5,423 per 100k people. Therefore, Lawrenceville has a better crime rate.
Overall, Lawrenceville has many safe areas to consider moving to. If you’re ready to start the relocation process, allow our dedicated Lawrenceville movers to make it easy for you by contacting Wirks Moving at 404-635-6683!
