Southampton Is a Crap-Town

Little known to most of us living on the East End, Southampton was named #4 in the 2013 Crap Towns book, which rates the 50 worst towns and cities.

The authors listed numerous reasons to support the rating. They included “poor council governance, lack of amenities and culture, neglect of historical assets, brutalist post war architecture, as well as relatively high rates of crime, drug use and prostitution.”

Quite frankly, I can’t dispute these assertions. In the past I have indeed seen and heard of many of these issues and it seems like despite the Town’s best efforts, things are not improving. As long as there has been a Southampton, there have been divisions in governance and their actions are the primary mechanism that could reverse these trends.

What is most shocking to me is the crime issue. The Southampton Safer City Partnership is now reporting that crime in Southampton has actually been reduced in recent years, but I ‘m not certain this is actually true, since at the same time there has been an increase in crime reporting rates. Still, according to government figures, Southampton has a higher crime rate than the national average.

It is a fact that 42.4 of every 1,000 persons in Southampton will have a crime of violence committed against them.

If you think your car is safe in Southampton, you might want to think again. The fact is, 28.4 of every 1,000 cars in Southampton will be stolen.

Considering all crimes, 202 of every 1,000 people in Southampton will become a victim at some point in time.

Probably one of the most alarming things about Southampton is the latest survey data suggesting that 40 percent of all school pupils have been victims of bullying.

What can we do about this as citizens of Southampton? Nothing!

This is because the “Crap Town” designation is, of course, referencing the City of Southampton, of Hampshire County, on the south coast of England—not our beloved paradise.

So if you live in Southampton (New York) and you are a whiner, stop and be glad you don’t live in that other Southampton.

Note: Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places To Live In The UK is part of a series of books edited by Sam Jordison and Dan Kieran.