Baton Rouge and crime (Shreveport, Jackson: low income, HOA, condo)

[wyatthiggins]

My husband and I are leaving BR b/c of the crime. We don't even live in BR but we work here. We hate it. We can't wait to move. You can't even go see the fire works on the levee anymore w/o getting shot at. I have friends who have been held up at gun point in parking lots in the middle of the day. Don't you dare look at someone the wrong way b/c they'll pull a gun out and shoot you. Crime has definitely risen. I do not feel safe at all. I hate this place and can't wait to leave.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by wyatthiggins

My husband and I are leaving BR b/c of the crime. We don't even live in BR but we work here. We hate it. We can't wait to move. You can't even go see the fire works on the levee anymore w/o getting shot at. I have friends who have been held up at gun point in parking lots in the middle of the day. Don't you dare look at someone the wrong way b/c they'll pull a gun out and shoot you. Crime has definitely risen. I do not feel safe at all. I hate this place and can't wait to leave.

I respectfully disagree. I've lived most of my life here, and BR is not this crime filled place. The levee incident was a first, but is NOT the normal course of business here in BR.

You just need to know there are parts of BR NOT to be in at night. Otherwise, stay aware of your surroundings, like you would in Anytown U.S.A.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by wyatthiggins

My husband and I are leaving BR b/c of the crime. We don't even live in BR but we work here. We hate it. We can't wait to move. You can't even go see the fire works on the levee anymore w/o getting shot at. I have friends who have been held up at gun point in parking lots in the middle of the day. Don't you dare look at someone the wrong way b/c they'll pull a gun out and shoot you. Crime has definitely risen. I do not feel safe at all. I hate this place and can't wait to leave.

Just yesterday here in Shreveport, we had a rookie cop working burglary detail get shot in the face during an altercation with a suspect.

Unfortunately it's not just Baton Rouge, Shreveport, New Orleans, or Louisiana. You're really not going to find many cities over 200,000 people where crime isn't an issue. Running from the crime (and that is exactly what you're doing) isn't going to make things change, and it's not going to make you any safer. Violent crime can occur anywhere, at any time. Did you hear about the senseless act of violence that happened a few days ago in the TINY town of Noble, LA? Those elderly people were killed - the husband injured and wife KILLED - over nothing... just the fact that someone wanted to steal from them.

Tyler, Texas - population approx. 90,000 - recently had a crime of murder and cannibalism occur... it was all over our news up here. Dallas is violent as well. It's a beautiful city, but it has a nasty, dark side that takes hold at night.

Even Lafayette has seen crime increase. It's everywhere, and while I do wish you the best, you are only running from it. If you start now, you will continue to run until you have nowhere left to go. Violence even occurs from time to time in gated communities, schools, CHURCHES, shopping malls, etc. It's simply not worth running from. Buy a gun, and shoot the low-life who is stupid enough to pull a gun on you and threaten your life.

[darylwi]

Agree! I have relatives in Vicksburg, MS (pop. about 25,000) and all they talk about is the crime in their town. Drug problems are on the rise and car breakins and robberies are taking off. And don't even talk about Jackson, MS. They usually top 100 murders every year, and their population is half of Baton Rouge.
I understand a real personal incident can make you extremely bias towards an area. I watch stupid people drive around this city all the time. I hate the drivers here sometimes. But then I'll come across many people in a row that are willing to let you out of your parking lot, let you change lanes, or they'll slow down to let you merge in.
So to say Baton Rouge is a place full of stupid drivers can be a relatively true or a relatively false statement. So why say it.

I hate to break it to anyone thinking that there's this place of utopia anywhere in this country, or probably the world, but crime is the result of society as it is today. As the rich get richer, the poor get poorer; and as crime laws become lax, criminals are becoming bolder because they have nothing to lose.

[BRMan]

About BR being this awful place. I've had my bicycle stolen twice, I've had flags hanging off my front porch stolen several times, and once I had my cell phone stolen from my car in my carport. And I had a druggie approach us once in the Hammond Aire Shopping Center babbling about needing money for his motel bill.

Yet, this kind of stuff happens ANYWHERE. I just thought I'd throw this in for scenery, lest I be mistaken for a C of C type (or even a realtor ) who thinks that everything about BR is "wunnerful wunnerful wunnerful."

[wyatthiggins]

I agree that crime is everywhere and can happen anywhere (even in smaller cities). I've lived in B.R. all my life. I remember how it used to be and seeing how it is now saddens me. I am not running from it. I've just had enough and I'm moving to a place where my son will have a better life. My husband and I both have careers in B.R. that center around crime. We deal with it on a daily basis. Believe me, I know how things have changed. Crime has risen and it will continue to rise. I do not feel safe and I have every reason to feel this way. I guess in our occupation my husband and I see and hear things that ordinary people don't. I think we have the advantage. And we are getting the heck out of here while we can. Again, I am not in any way running from it. I am escaping.... I know there is no Utopia, no prefect place. But there are places that are better than B.R. and we hope to find that place and make a new beginning there.

[darylwi]

I can agree with that. Wish you and your family the best.
As much as I like Baton Rouge, I'm a little discouraged to raise any children here. And as much as I like parts of central and north Texas, I'd probably move over there if I ever decided to raise kids.
I'm just interested though, what do you see that we don't see as far as crime, besides the sheer number of incidents? Has some crime element moved into the city, or is something heading this way and is threatening the average person here? Just interested, because if yall are in the field and have the advantage and are still running away, then maybe I should be packing my bags too.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by wyatthiggins

I agree that crime is everywhere and can happen anywhere (even in smaller cities). I've lived in B.R. all my life. I remember how it used to be and seeing how it is now saddens me. I am not running from it. I've just had enough and I'm moving to a place where my son will have a better life. My husband and I both have careers in B.R. that center around crime. We deal with it on a daily basis. Believe me, I know how things have changed. Crime has risen and it will continue to rise. I do not feel safe and I have every reason to feel this way. I guess in our occupation my husband and I see and hear things that ordinary people don't. I think we have the advantage. And we are getting the heck out of here while we can. Again, I am not in any way running from it. I am escaping.... I know there is no Utopia, no prefect place. But there are places that are better than B.R. and we hope to find that place and make a new beginning there.

In the old days, BR was a small town. Now it's a metro area of 700K. About the only "change" I've seen lately is that we've started to get panhandlers, likely from NO in the Katrina aftermath.

But in the old days, BR had its issues. I remember back in 1979-1980 there was some crazy serial killer named John Simonis who cut the phone lines before he'd invade a house. So I'd be interested in seeing what has changed in BR that makes it so bad. And while I'm being a meanie, are you living in a neighborhood that has declined ? Neighborhoods do change, of course, as they do in Anytown USA.

[Caa]

I think this area is a great place to raise children! I have to say that in my opinion, there are more things for children and teens to do than anywhere I have ever lived. There is Blue Bayou, Monkey Bizz 2 Chuck E Cheeses, play places and parks. There are so many sports related activities to do here it is unreal. I also think the teens here seem to be failrly respectable and decent. I think this area is a great place to raise a family, we moved here for that very reason, to raise our child in a nice town! We came from South Florida and talk about the worst place to raise a child!!

[darylwi]

Originally Posted by Caa

I think this area is a great place to raise children! I have to say that in my opinion, there are more things for children and teens to do than anywhere I have ever lived. There is Blue Bayou, Monkey Bizz 2 Chuck E Cheeses, play places and parks. There are so many sports related activities to do here it is unreal. I also think the teens here seem to be failrly respectable and decent. I think this area is a great place to raise a family, we moved here for that very reason, to raise our child in a nice town! We came from South Florida and talk about the worst place to raise a child!!

Maybe it's different in South Florida, I don't know, but everywhere I've been since I was a kid, all the major cities had Chuck E Cheese, waterparks and various places to "play". Jackson, MS has these things, but I wouldn't live in Jackson. I'm sure Shreveport, Mobile, Birmingham, etc have these places as well.
I'm thinking more on the lines of education, progressiveness, and potential for ample high tech business and industrial employment after they graduate.
No offense by any means, just clearing up where I'm coming from.