It depends
I guess it depends on "how close" to downtown you are talking. I go downtown a lot, and like everyone else, see homeless people everywhere. You mostly encounter them when you have to walk the sidewalks or go into pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid). I've had only a few negative encounters, but never really felt in danger.
My wife however has had several concerning encounters. One in which she was followed out of a pharmacy. Another on the WOW trail.
If you read posts from some of the Laconia-related groups on Facebook, there is an escalating crime problem in Laconia. Eventually, it will effect all of us unless something is done about it. As noted in a prior post, there are a LOT of homeless people congregating around City Hall! Definitely keep your car locked if you park in the large parking lot. They eyeball the cars.
I live in SD/LB, and even there we have homeless people passing through.
If I had to do it over again, I would have built our home in Gilford or Meredith.
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