Detroit named nation’s most dangerous city

Detroit named nation’s most dangerous city
Critics dispute analysis of crime statistics, say rankings can be harmful

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21870766/

updated 2:08 p.m. PT, Sun., Nov. 18, 2007

DETROIT - In another blow to the Motor City’s tarnished image, Detroit pushed past St. Louis to become the nation’s most dangerous city, according to a private research group’s controversial analysis, released Sunday, of annual FBI crime statistics.

The study drew harsh criticism even before it came out. The American Society of Criminology launched a pre-emptive strike Friday, issuing a statement attacking it as “an irresponsible misuse” of crime data.

The 14th annual “City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America” was published by CQ Press, a unit of Congressional Quarterly Inc. It is based on the FBI’s Sept. 24 crime statistics report.

The report looked at 378 cities with at least 75,000 people based on per-capita rates for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft. Each crime category was considered separately and weighted based on its seriousness, CQ Press said.

high unemployment usually equals high crime rates. Cleveland has to be #2.

Detroit sucks in a lot of ways. But, it is above sea level.

and get somebody better in there, we could see some improvement.

Same-o-same-o :shrug:

End of story.

Detroit is a hollowed out shell of its former glory days. It was a great manufacturing hub, a relatively safe and affordable place to raise a family, some cultural influence-Motown, and now, gutted out buildings a dying or dead downtown.

When people have no jobs, you get crime.

I moved to the area 20 years ago, but spent lots of time here as a kid, going to visit relatives and attend Tiger games and such.

The riots in 67 were the beginning of the end-the white people started moving out and taking their businesses with them. Then, in the mid to late 70s, the auto industry had problems dealing with real competition from Japan for the first time. Plants closed, people got laid off and those jobs never came back, nor were they replaced with some kind of new industry.

I lived/rented in Detroit from 1989-2001. I lived in what was a cool neighborhood when I moved there, and I watched it go downhill rapidly. I lived in the Woodward/McNichols area-when the old people started to die and the gay people of means moved up to Royal Oak and Ferndale, the families moved out and the drag queen prostitutes and punks moved in.

I bought a house just over 8 Mile in Warren-I couldn't afford to buy a house in a good neighborhood in Detroit (there are still a few left, although now city employees can leave...), the property taxes are too high. I think a lot of people who were holding on to hope in Detroit's future are doing the same thing right now, because houses in the immediate suburbs are relatively inexpensive right now.

I don't think Detroit is an unsafe place for people to visit, however. The areas around the casinos and stadiums are all well-patrolled and the downtown entertainment and dining areas are also very safe. Greektown, the most common destination because of it's proximity to the stadia, is located within a block of police headquarters. It's the neighborhoods where people live and work that are dangerous.