From California to Hawaii, new data shows which beaches are most prone to theft and which are among the safest.Show Caption
Realizing your wallet was stolen while you were swimming in the ocean can quickly ruin an otherwise perfect beach day.Most beach vacationers look forward to frolicking in the water and basking in the sunshine, but forget how leaving their personal belongings unattended on the sand puts them at risk of being pilfered. While this doesn't mean people should avoid the beach, it should prompt them to take safety precautions, like making sure they lock their car and always having someone watching their bags.Some beaches may be safer than others, at least when it comes to theft. To determine which U.S. beaches have the most crime, The Action Network analyzed the crime statistics of 500 popular beaches' Zip codes from crimegrade.org, with theft weighted most heavily, followed by robbery, vehicle theft and burglary.It turns out that major resort hubs such as Maui's Kaanapali Beach were the safest. Even at high-theft beaches, more than 92% of recorded incidents were non-violent, mostly comprising unattended bags or rental car break-ins."When planning a summer getaway, travelers rarely think about property crime, but unattended phones, wallets, and car keys on the sand can be easy targets," said Kathy Morris, spokesperson for The Action Network. "By factoring daily tourist crowds into our analysis alongside local census data, we calculated the true individual risk for beachgoers across the country. The good news for vacationers is that over 90% of beach-area incidents are non-violent property theft, meaning a little extra situational awareness is usually all it takes to keep your belongings safe while enjoying the shore."Here are the U.S. beaches with the highest and lowest risk of theft.US beaches with highest crimeNorth Jetty, WashingtonFolly Beach, South CarolinaNewport Beach, CaliforniaLaupahoehoe Beach Park, HawaiiDevils Punchbowl State Natural Area, OregonSanta Monica, CaliforniaGrand Lake Beach, ColoradoVan Damme State Park, CaliforniaBig Sur, CaliforniaLincoln City, OregonUS beaches with lowest crimeNew Smyrna Town Beach, FloridaCape Cod National Seashore, MassachusettsSanibel Island, FloridaKey West, FloridaSiesta Key, FloridaVirginia Beach, VirginiaKailua, HawaiiRehoboth, DelawareHilton Head Island, South CarolinaWaikiki, HawaiiThis story was updated to refresh headlines.Kathleen Wong is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY. She's the author of "The Conscious Traveller Hawai'i" and is based in Hawaii.
