The other day, while talking with a friend, he told me that his car was broken into within the first few days of moving here. This didn't surprise me much because Amarillo was ranked 6th by the FBI as the worst city in Texas.

But then I realized that that FBI list was from 2016, making it six years old. So I started to do some research. I wanted to see if there was a more recent list to see where Amarillo ranked.

The New List

So I found a new list that goes off the 2020 crime statistics. It had Amarillo ranked as the 9th worst city in Texas. This is cool because that means we dropped down from 6 to 9. However, it mentioned that Amarillo might be climb right back up the list in the future.

Why? Because in 2017 and 2018, there was a 6.8% elevation in crime. Most of our crime was property theft which was 42 out of 1,000 people, followed by violent crime, which was 8 out of 1,000.

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However, there was something I saw that made me question this list.

Is Soncy really that dangerous?

According to the list, the most dangerous area in Amarillo is Soncy.

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Now, I don't know where they got their information. But in my opinion, the only dangerous thing about Soncy is the traffic. When I'm going down Soncy and see police officers, it's either because someone is getting a ticket or there was a wreck.

What makes this list weirder is that North Soncy is rated as one of the safest neighborhoods in Amarillo. So how can Soncy be the most dangerous and safest at the same time?

A possible answer to why Soncy is so "dangerous"

The only thing I can think of why Soncy would take the honor of "most dangerous" is the number of crime reports made in the area. It could be that the crime in question isn't assault or other violent types of crime; rather, it could be as simple as a high amount of car break-ins or shoplifting reports made by the stores.

There's an awful lot of stores concentrated on Soncy, so this is honestly the only possible answer I can come up with. Everyone comes out here to do their shopping, so it makes sense that there would be more opportunities for theft, along with a high rate of reports made on those thefts.

What is the most dangerous part of Amarillo?

In my opinion, this could be one of three areas.

  • North Heights
  • San Jacinto
  • Boulevard

And I'm not saying these areas or super dangerous but you do need to watch your back especially after dark. But let me know what you think down below.

These Might Be the Most Dangerous Intersections in Amarillo

Traffic stinks.

These intersections stink harder.

Don't hesitate to sound off if we missed any. We're happy to add more Amarillo collision hotspots to this list of shame.

Amarillo Murders in 2021

With an official tally of 27 murders, the year 2021 saw the highest number of homicides in Amarillo since 1994.

Below is a closer look at the year's criminal acts that resulted in life lost.

**Note from the Editor: The following is not an exhaustive list. We have compiled what you see below from news reports, official police statements, along with where the case stands in the court system. If you see any errors in reporting or fact, please email the editor directly at sarah.clark@townsquaremedia.com along with any supporting documents.

We wish to stress that all individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

***Not pictured: Edward Matthew Gamez

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