Homicides Decline (Chicago, Lincoln, Madison: low crime, neighborhoods, live in)

[nycjowww]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

It's a shame that Chicago can't at least match LA's murder rate considering guns are legal there and EVERYONE has one. Plus, can you imagine how many murders there would be in Chicago if not for the cold winters?

This could be said for all cities that suffer from very cold winters.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by jordandubreil

That would be a three year trend in decreases of homicides right?

No,it would be a two year decline. Murders popped back up in 2008.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

So that would put the city at 430 through December 20th, and apparently if anything its at least been pretty quiet since then.

I would not call things quiet.

People have been doing their damndest to kill people the last few days, but they are not succeeding.

Multiple shootings, stabbings throughout city overnight - Chicago Breaking News (http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/12/multiple-shootings-stabbings-throughout-city-overnight.html - broken link)

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/12/husband-stabbed-in-head-by-ex-husband.html (broken link)

[ofcjim40]

That's basically my take on it too Tony. It doesn't seem like a lack of trying. Often what separates a shooting from being a murder is mere inches or the skill of the Paramedics and Hospital staff. The number of people being shot isn't going down, but the number living is going up. There are multiple shootings a day it seems. If just one of these bullets was more to the left, if the Ambulance was just a minute slower getting there, these numbers could easily have gone up by 50 in a year. Just because less people have died, but more are getting shot, are in wheelchairs or are crapping in a plastic bag hardly equals a kinder and gentler society to me.

[RarelyOffended]

Chicago South sider, Chicago actually has a higher murder rate then LA and NY, nothing to brag about either. it also has more crime then LA and NY with less the population that is pretty sad. Chicago has close to 3 million people LA close to 4 million and NY close to 9 million. Chicago has had a higher murder rate then both cities for decades. Thank god they seem to be going downwards, hopefully 2011 is not another 2008. Keep your family safe people Happy Holidays!

[nycjowww]

Originally Posted by tonythetuna

No,it would be a two year decline. Murders popped back up in 2008.

your right.

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by RarelyOffended

Chicago South sider, Chicago actually has a higher murder rate then LA and NY, nothing to brag about either. it also has more crime then LA and NY with less the population that is pretty sad. Chicago has close to 3 million people LA close to 4 million and NY close to 9 million. Chicago has had a higher murder rate then both cities for decades. Thank god they seem to be going downwards, hopefully 2011 is not another 2008. Keep your family safe people Happy Holidays!

Did you read my post? I know that both New York and LA have lower murder rates than Chicago. Who doesn't? It's been all over the national news for years now. I also know how many people live in New York and LA proper and have spent time in both cities.

Anyway, New York used to clock over 2,000 murders per year. I'm actually amazed that the city was able to cut its' homicide rate by 75%. Perhaps they forced many of the violent folks out of the city.

Chicago used to have over 900 murders per year so some progress has been made. There is still a lot of work to do though.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

Did you read my post? I know that both New York and LA have lower murder rates than Chicago. Who doesn't? It's been all over the national news for years now. I also know how many people live in New York and LA proper and have spent time in both cities.

Anyway, New York used to clock over 2,000 murders per year. I'm actually amazed that the city was able to cut its' homicide rate by 75%. Perhaps they forced many of the violent folks out of the city.

Chicago used to have over 900 murders per year so some progress has been made. There is still a lot of work to do though.

That's exactly what had happened. There are obviously still some 'rough' parts of NYC, but massive gentrification and COL have forced out a TON of people, leaving behind wealthier (by some standards) people with less propensity to commit crimes.

Which is why I subscribe to the tale of two Chicagos theory. Cut off the west and south sides of Chicago and you'd see a NYC like crime rate, most likely. Someone should compile some data to examine that theory.

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by MannheimMadman

Which is why I subscribe to the tale of two Chicagos theory. Cut off the west and south sides of Chicago and you'd see a NYC like crime rate, most likely. Someone should compile some data to examine that theory.

Actually, there have been a few posts about this. Almost 80% of the murders in this city are committed by uneducated, young and poor blacks. So, wherever you find that demographic you will surely find murders. It's that simple. As a black person myself I find that statistic unsettling to say the least.

I would actually say that the north side of the city has a lower murder rate than New York City but that's an apples/oranges comparison.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

Actually, there have been a few posts about this. Almost 80% of the murders in this city are committed by uneducated, young and poor blacks. So, wherever you find that demographic you will surely find murders. It's that simple. As a black person myself I find that statistic unsettling to say the least.

I would actually say that the north side of the city has a lower murder rate than New York City but that's an apples/oranges comparison.

You can actually trace the murders by community area, and then plot that back on the population for those areas (although it's from 2000).

For 2010, there are 25 community areas I initially looked at that had a population of 828,200, and had a combined 11 murders so far in 2011. Those areas are generally everything in an arch from Hyde Park up through the Loop, and up across the northwest side of the city (Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Square, Jefferson Park, etc). That's around 1.3/100,000 as far as the murder rate.

The area from Lincoln Square over to Lakeview and down into the Near North Side has only seen 2 murders for well over 300,000 people.

I was surprised at Logan Square and West Town so far in 2010. 3 murders for 170,000 people.

Then I looked at 8 other community areas. Places like Bridgeport, Dunning, Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown, Irving Park. Places that are generally decent, but have their rough spots and/or incidents. Those community areas had 28 murders for 445,000 people. That's around 6.3/100,000.

Then you have your Auburn Gresham, W. Englewood, Greater Grand, Humbolt Park, North Lawndale, Roseland. They've seen 139 murders for 289,300 people. Around 33% of the city's total murders and 10% of the population, for a rate of 48/100,000.

Austin and Englewood are actually seeing roughly half the number of murders this year compared to the previous two years. Austin is at 23 after seeing 80 in the two years prior. Englewood is at 11 after seeing 42 in the two years prior.

A huge difference though:
Near North up through Lincoln Square: 2 murders for 308,000 people.
Worst of the worst: 139 murders for 289,300 people.