Back in the 70s and early 80s, you got the bulletproof service windows for banks, restaurants and convenient stores. It is only after the downfall of SU that things got better. Now the good old days of 90s and 00s had run its course.
As for major or violent crimes, most southern states claimed to be safer but that is just not entirely true. They might have highest incarcerated rate but crime rate is still very high.
The biggest issue in the US is police corruption. When Italy, Jew, Chinese and black mafia got busted in the early 90s, all crimes go down significantly in NYC to this day even after so many mess up with those libertards in the Cityhall but crime rate is still way better now than back then.
The second issue is the US only knows to incarcerate but not rehabilitate and tackle extreme poverty. You got all those southern states that put all those bad guys in jails but the system is so bad that more bad guys would emerge in no time.