We are conditioned to believe the US is the safer place, but this is factually incorrect. When comparing the entire country of Cambodia to Los Angeles, my home town, this becomes abundantly clear. Siem reap is safe.
Los Angeles Crime Statistics
In 2023, Los Angeles reported a violent crime rate of 801.5 incidents per 100,000 people, including 9.9 homicides per 100,000.
https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/lapd-releases-end-year-crime-statistics-city-los-angeles-2023
Siem Reap Crime Statistics
Specific crime data for Siem Reap is limited, but Cambodia’s overall homicide rate was 2.4 per 100,000 in 2018. Siem Reap, being a major tourist destination, is considered relatively safe, with most incidents involving petty theft rather than violent crime.
Also, not many crime statistics are available for Siem Reap, but I did find a nice chart comparing it to the Capital city, Phenom Penh, which still is not overall as bad as Los Angeles. Also, Siem Reap is much different than Phenom Penh. Much calmer, much safer.
Conclusion
Despite perceptions, Los Angeles experiences higher rates of violent crime compared to Siem Reap. This obviously challenges the notion that the US is inherently safer than other countries. It very much is not. We have simply been conditioned to believe that it is, and this is a lie.
I will say that there are less police officers in Siem Reap, but there is also noticeably less violent crime. I can’t speak on whether or not these two things correlate, but I have a feeling that they do. Also, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the Khmer simply aren’t violent people. Violence isn’t in the culture, and you can feeling when you live here. Check out this travel guide to see all the fun, safe stuff to do here as well.