Crime Rate Near Airports Higher Than US Average

The chances of being robbed or assaulted on the way to and from the airport or train station exceed the national average. A study by a crime-forecasting company found that the risk of becoming a crime victim outside 28 of 29 airports located in the largest metro areas is four times greater than the national average, USA Today reports.

Airports and train stations may feel safe to travelers because of a greater presence of police and security people. However, surrounding areas are often poor neighborhoods, which have a higher likelihood of crime, Lewis Yablonsky, emeritus professor of criminology at California State University-Northridge, told the paper.

The area outside Philadelphia International Airport has the greatest crime risk of any area outside an airport in the 25 most populous metropolitan regions, the study done for by CAP Index, of Exton, Pa., shows. The lowest risk is outside Pittsburgh's airport.

Train station neighborhoods with a very high crime risk include those outside Union Station in Los Angeles and Chicago, and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, USA Today reported.

Thefts, assaults and robberies are the most common crimes in neighborhoods outside airports and central train stations, criminologist Rosemary Erickson told the newspaper.