If you've ever been to an NFL game, you know the excitement is off the charts.
But a recent survey of NFL fans indicates a concerning rise in experiences of harassment, vandalism, theft, or violence in or near the stadiums they frequent.
In a survey by Sportsbook Review of around 3,200 fans from all 32 teams, approximately 39% of NFL fans reported witnessing a crime at a game, with more than 7% saying that they had personally experienced being victims of such incidents.
When considering stadium-related crime, you might instinctively think of stadiums in major cities like Chicago, Atlanta, New York, or even Oakland, where crime rates tend to be higher.
But according to the study's crime statistics, Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, home of the Denver Broncos, was identified as the riskiest NFL stadium to visit, with a rate of 70.02 crimes per 1,000 residents in the stadium's zip code.
Next on the list is Limen Field in Seattle, where the Seahawks play, marked by a crime rate of 63.5 per 1,000 residents. Not far behind are Ford Field, the den of the Detroit Lions; U.S. Bank Stadium, the turf of the Minnesota Vikings; and Arrowhead Stadium, the stronghold of the Kansas City Chiefs (and where Taylor Swift was this weekend), all closely following in crime rate rankings.
While the general crime rate has always been a concern, the study also highlights stadiums where most fans have been victims of crime.
At Lincoln Financial Field, where the Philadelphia Eagles play, 63.2% of the surveyed NFL fans said they witnessed a crime, primarily physical violence. AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, followed at 54.6%, and Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, at 51.1%, both noting physical violence as the main infraction.
Furthermore, the study indicates that 44.7% of surveyed women expressed feeling unsafe while attending football games, while a significant 77.2% of surveyed parents said they did not feel safe letting their kids attend a football game alone.
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