Camden, NJ - most dangerous US city.

[Steff]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/21/camden.crime.ap/index.html

 

 

 

Monday, November 21, 2005; Posted: 9:11 a.m. EST (14:11 GMT)

 

 

CAMDEN, New Jersey (AP) -- For the second year in a row this destitute city of Camden, New Jersey, has been named the nation's most dangerous, according to a company's annual ranking based on crime statistics.

 

Last year, the distinction seemed to hurt city boosters' feelings more than it harmed revitalization efforts. This time, city leaders are offended by the ranking, calling it unfair.

 

"We're doing so many nice things now. It's unfortunate that somebody always wants to bad-mouth Camden," Mayor Gwendolyn Faison said.

 

The city took the top spot last year from Detroit, which remained No. 2 in the most dangerous city rankings, to be released Monday by Morgan Quitno Press.

 

The Lawrence, Kansas-based company publishes "City Crime Rankings," an annual reference book.

 

Listed as the most dangerous cities are: Camden, New Jersey; Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Flint, Michigan; Richmond, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland; Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; Gary, Indiana; Birmingham, Alabama.

 

At the other end of the scale, the safest are named as: Newton, Massachusetts; Clarkstown, New York; Amherst, New York; Mission Viejo, California; Brick Township, New Jersey; Troy, Michigan; Thousand Oaks, California; Round Rock, Texas; Lake Forest, California; Cary, North Carolina.

 

Development projects

Camden, a former industrial city across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, is known for a history of corrupt politicians, drug-dealing and murders. It has been among the Top 10 in the most dangerous city rankings in each of the eight years Morgan Quitno released them. By most measures it is also among the nation's poorest.

 

The state has poured $175 million into the city to spur development projects and take over parts of its government, the city's aquarium doubled in size and a new library and technology center were built. Tourism continues to increase along the river, home to the aquarium, an amphitheater, a minor-league baseball park and a retired battleship.

 

But about 100 fewer prospective students than expected attended Rutgers University's downtown campus last year, something Provost Roger Dennis attributes to the crime ranking and a serial rapist who assaulted women near and on campus last fall.

 

Police are now using computers to try to track crime trends, and more officers are patrolling the city's neighborhoods.

 

Authorities say that has helped drive down the most serious crimes by 18 percent in the first 10 months of 2005 compared with the same period a year earlier.

 

Some residents say their neighborhoods feel a bit safer.

 

"I haven't heard that many gunshots," said Gracy Muniz, 22, a mother of three who lives in North Camden.

 

Critics note that Morgan Quitno's ranking is based on data from last year, when the city of 80,000 averaged a murder a week. Murders from January through October were down by 45 percent compared with the same period in 2004.

 

Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno, said Friday that while the numbers may not be perfect, they are one of the only ways to compare crime in different cities.

[Texsox]

Safest Cities:

 

1. Newton, Mass.

 

2. Clarkstown, N.Y.

 

3. Amherst, N.Y.

 

4. Mission Viejo, Calif.

 

5. Brick Township, N.J.

 

6. Troy, Mich.

 

7. Thousand Oaks, Calif.

 

8. Round Rock, Texas

 

9. Lake Forest, Calif.

 

10. Cary, N.C.

 

By state, Kerry won 8 of the 10. I guess when you feel safe, you can vote Democrat.

[Steff]

Is it to much to ask that the political bulls*** be kept in the political threads..?

[Texsox]

Then why are some cities safer than others? I always thought

 

better economics = safer city

better economics = GOP voting

 

I was surprised to see the list didn't reflect that.

[Rex Kickass]

Brick Township is Democrat, but in a GOP dominated county. But I don't buy that bs.

 

I think that the safer cities are just boring. There's nothing to do in the mean streets of Brick.

[Texsox]

I was also thinking about the GOP being the tough on crime, law and order, capitol punishment, etc.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

I was also thinking about the GOP being the tough on crime, law and order, capitol punishment, etc.

 

 

I think it has more to do with what all those places have in common as opposed to who's in charge.

 

 

Its called...............drum roll please..........MONEY.

[Rex Kickass]

And there's nothing there. There are no cultural places in Brick Township. It's a bunch of houses connected to three commercial streets. Brick NJ is a bedroom community of 85,000. Most of the towns in the top 10 are too.

[Texsox]

And there's nothing there. There are no cultural places in Brick Township. It's a bunch of houses connected to three commercial streets. Brick NJ is a bedroom community of 85,000. Most of the towns in the top 10 are too.

 

Sounds like a great place for breaking and entering . . .

 

BTW, I remember looking at crime stats for McAllen before moving here and being aghast at the number of petty thefts. Then I compared it to cities I lived and found out Vernon Hills had an even higher rate of theft. Schaumburg was equally huge. Northbrook? Same thing. Theft rates off the charts.

 

Then I figured out it was shop lifting at the malls. So it's almost always the information behind the stats and the methodology that determines what the study really tells us. Not some chart and brief synopsis from a reporter.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Sounds like a great place for breaking and entering . . .

 

BTW, I remember looking at crime stats for McAllen before moving here and being aghast at the number of petty thefts. Then I compared it to cities I lived and found out Vernon Hills had an even higher rate of theft. Schaumburg was equally huge. Northbrook? Same thing. Theft rates off the charts.

 

Then I figured out it was shop lifting at the malls.  So it's almost always the information behind the stats and the methodology that determines what the study really tells us. Not some chart and brief synopsis from a reporter.

 

 

Thats why I prefer to look at violent crime when determining how safe a community is. People shoplifting a handbag from Nordstrom doesn't really affect me personally at all.

[Rex Kickass]

There is no mall in Brick.

[Texsox]

Thats why I prefer to look at violent crime when determining how safe a community is.  People shoplifting a handbag from Nordstrom doesn't really affect me personally at all.

 

Exactly. Sneak in my back yard and steal my trampoline a dozen times, but don't point a gun at me once.

[Mercy!]

Is it to much to ask that the political bulls*** be kept in the political threads..?

But you started the thread! What could be more political than rankings of “most dangerous US cities” with the main focus on the one ranked worst? The personal is political, and all that.

 

Anyway, last time I moved within Chicago, I made use of the clunky, official Chicago crime statistics website:

 

CPD Recently Reported Crimes

 

There’s now a very cool new unofficial site (6 months old?) with a browsable database of crimes reported in Chicago. It lets you look at the information in a number of useful ways, complete with various maps, of course.

 

Chicago Crime Database

 

I’m not a gloom, tomb and doom person, but I find those sorts of sites fun to mess around on occasionally. It can be weird to discover that areas where I’ve felt safe to walk around may be a little dicey, and others that look ratty may not be so bad.

 

I’m sure other cities have similar sites.

[mr_genius]

Is it to much to ask that the political bulls*** be kept in the political threads..?

 

 

I think this thread proves the answer is "yes".

[Steff]

I think this thread proves the answer is "yes".

 

 

Not surprising.

[Texsox]

Not surprising.

 

What other discussion regarding crime would there be that wasn't political in some nature?

[Chisoxfn]

By state, Kerry won 8 of the 10. I guess when you feel safe, you can vote Democrat.

I guarantee you he didn't win Mission Viejo and I doubt he won Lake Forest so I don't know how he did in the other cities. Both are very safe areas, although I must say I was surprised to see Lake Forest in there. There are other areas in South Orange County that I think of as safer and better, but Lake Forest is pretty small.

[kapkomet]

There's a difference between LOCAL politics, in this case, and NATIONAL politics.

 

Local politics belong into this discussion - as Mercy pointed out. National politics, such as what John Kerry is going to do for Camden, NJ (absolutely NOTHING) doesn't belong in this thread, but somehow is made to.

[Chisoxfn]

Then why are some cities safer than others? I always thought

 

better economics = safer city

better economics = GOP voting

 

I was surprised to see the list didn't reflect that.

Tex; Mission Viejo, Lake Forest...bot hare part of South Orange County, which is as republican of a county as there is as well as pretty much as safe and wealthy of a county as there is. Irvine, Newport, Mission Viejo, Laguna, Rancho Santa Margarita...I could list off tons of cities all heavy republican cities in the area that have been previously ranked as safest cities.

 

I know Irvine has won the award a few times. I hate seeing politics shoved into this but if someone is gonna slam the party I back than I better at least throw out some facts and state this is a BS concept.

 

And no, I'm not saying that republican cities are safer...all I'm saying is this is pure hogwash.

[SoxFan1]

And to think, I was considering going to Rutgers @ Camden....

[Texsox]

Good point about state vs. local. One would have to look at mayoral races.

 

But I ask again, what discussion is there that wouldn't be considered political? The police chief is generally picked by the mayor, sheriffs are elected officials. We look to our government for crime prevention and we know the government is political.

[Chisoxfn]

Good point about state vs. local. One would have to look at mayoral races.

 

But I ask again, what discussion is there that wouldn't be considered political? The police chief is generally picked by the mayor, sheriffs are elected officials. We look to our government for crime prevention and we know the government is political.

Well than, lets not forget that a local election does not have parties involved. But since I'm from the area where two of those cities are listed (regardless of whether they supported or not) I can tell you that by and large they are republican cities located in a heavily republican county.

[Texsox]

Well than, lets not forget that a local election does not have parties involved.  But since I'm from the area where two of those cities are listed (regardless of whether they supported or not) I can tell you that by and large they are republican cities located in a heavily republican county.

 

Which confirms my original assumption that all those cities would be largely GOP, with a well financed city budget for police patrols, most homes having security systems, fences, gates, perhaps some private gated communities. Last I looked the GOP held an adge with higher income families.

 

How about spinning this off the politcs? What factors should be present to make a community safe? Does the local government play a role? Wealth of the city?

[Chisoxfn]

Which confirms my original assumption that all those cities would be largely GOP, with a well financed city budget for police patrols, most homes having security systems, fences, gates, perhaps some private gated communities. Last I looked the GOP held an adge with higher income families.

 

How about spinning this off the politcs? What factors should be present to make a community safe? Does the local government play a role? Wealth of the city?

I think the local government plays a huge role. The police forces are all very large in these areas and at the same time the school systems are very strong in this cities. I think all of this is because the community in itself is involved. And despite the fact I don't want to say this, but money is definately a reason why.

 

Simply put more wealthy families (i'm not talking super upper class, but upper-middle class) typically are involved and demand quality schools. With quality schools on the most part you have students that stay in school and are educated. They also don't have near as many negative influences, so basically put both the young and old are far more responsible (of course drug abuse I think is high in upper middle class schools and especially in upper class schools).

 

I'm sure I'm generalizing though and it definately depends on the areas you live in because in a lot of areas you don't have to be in a wealthy area for this to happen. Far put, if you live in an area where values are high and families are tight you can also have this exists, imo.

 

In general I think a lot of this comes down to families and the values they have and teach.

[Steff]

There's a difference between LOCAL politics, in this case, and NATIONAL politics.

 

Local politics belong into this discussion - as Mercy pointed out.  National politics, such as what John Kerry is going to do for Camden, NJ (absolutely NOTHING) doesn't belong in this thread, but somehow is made to.

 

 

Thanks kap..

 

And thank for explaining the difference :rolly