I think you're right, but there is also the possibility that people avoiding places and situations which feel unsafe is a factor in the low number of incidents.
the biggest threat in our urban walking lives is really cars[0], and even that isn't so large that we should remain in a state of constant fear.
[0]: pollution is actually the biggest (external) threat, since it's estimated to be responsible for millions of lives lost annually worldwide, but that's regardless of urban walking, so it's beyond the scope of the argument here.