crime in columbus (Cleveland, Gahanna, Dublin: apartment, condo, crime rate)

[proud buckeye]

what in the world is going on with the crime rate in columbus, i've lived here for over 30 years and its out of control, the crime in the o.s.u. area is becoming out of control, these kids have to watch every move they make, how can it be stopped.

[where_to_move]

I ABSOLUTELY agree!
I moved here 3 yrs ago from living in downtown San Francisco!!! I think the crime here is WORSE!!!
Of course in SF I knew which neighborhoods to "stay away" from, but I have always thought it was out of control living here!
Of course living in suburbs like Gahanna, Dublin, Hilliard, Worthington etc...I feel safe...but going to work or being in Columbus proper or going to OSU...u do have to be careful!

[streetcreed]

Truely I would hardly say crime in Columbus is out of control.

The good news is this.
a) Columbus has few areas which are literally nothing but poor people, in Columbus many live in neighborhoods where there may be lower income residents in one apartment building, but then the rest of the street is middle class homes or sometimes mansions. In rust-belt cities (like say Cleveland) you have entire neighborhoods that are almost nothing but poor.
Columbus' poverty is more mixed into the well to do areas (this is more true in the central city of columbus and the NE and west sides)

I live on south campus, near the new gateway development, the area is hardly crime ridden. Many of the homes on north campus and south are owned and not rented and the campus area is hardly ghetto or not nice. However, it is an urban area. Places like the OSU campus are not new albany, a planned urban sprawl suburb, it is a colorful urban fabric of Columbus.

People in Columbus should appreciate that Columbus has such a diverse range of housing options and neigborhood styles. In the city limits we have our suburban communities, but its a great thing that we also have a beautiful functioning central city, with interesting neigborhoods. The central city area is just that; a city. It is going to have some poor and homeless around, that's just the way it is, but that doesn't mean you ignore all of the positives. Such as the commercial strips with shops and locally owned restaurants and retail. You don't ignore all of the beautiful homes, parks, and modern infill.
I lived in the Short North before, and now live on south campus to be closer to my graduate law program. Before i did, like many, group campus into one bowl of just students. however, north campus has a large number of people owning homes, families, students, and grads. Its really a mix of people. South campus is the same as well. Its really only mid campus that is just undergrad students.
To call an area crime ridden simply because it's more urban, is a short sighted view. Columbusites should appreciate the different neigborhoods in Columbus.

[proud buckeye]

i live in columbus and love it, i've lived here most of my life except when i was in the service overseas in the late 60's, i always hear people compare cities with this and that and say well columbus is not as bad as this or that city, our city is full of crime, crack and meth and everything that comes with it, i really think we ignore half of it and should face the music, i can remember when i used to run from worthington to downtown and take a bus back home and it was the most enjoyable jog, now drug dealers are everywhere, i guess my background as an m.p. in the service and street awareness gives me good incite but most people are clueless here, the shortnorth, south campus, downtown is full crackheads and high and long is horrible, i don't why people would buy those nice condo's next to the mental health facility and the drug house at the y.m.c.a and the building across the street from it, people can't even go to the citycenter without being bothered by the street people, i think columbus is a great city but needs to put the foot down when it comes to drugs and crime, don't ignore it, address it and take care of it, columbus has the money to do it, columbus loves to be a first place city, we have the ability and resources to do it, we just have to take back our city and set the example for the rest, i really believe this.

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by proud buckeye

what in the world is going on with the crime rate in columbus, i've lived here for over 30 years and its out of control ... how can it be stopped.

Concealed carry. Self-defense training.

Martial arts classes are good, but the real deterrent to crime is an educated, armed populace.

Buy a handgun (legally!) take shooting & safety courses, and earn your license from the state to carry a concealed firearm.

Are you looking at me like I'm joking or nuts?! No, I'm serious.

Criminal scumbags prefer easy victims to pick on. If there's a good likelihood the thug will be dispatched by his intended target, then he'll move on.

How long does it take the cops to get there when you're confronted by a robber, rapist or knife-wielding maniac? Is the perp gonna wait for you to whip out your cellphone and dial 911?

In my opinion, it's about darn time the criminals started living in mortal fear. Not us!

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by proud buckeye

i live in columbus and love it, i've lived here most of my life except when i was in the service overseas in the late 60's, i always hear people compare cities with this and that and say well columbus is not as bad as this or that city, our city is full of crime, crack and meth and everything that comes with it, i really think we ignore half of it and should face the music, i can remember when i used to run from worthington to downtown and take a bus back home and it was the most enjoyable jog, now drug dealers are everywhere, i guess my background as an m.p. in the service and street awareness gives me good incite but most people are clueless here, the shortnorth, south campus, downtown is full crackheads and high and long is horrible, i don't why people would buy those nice condo's next to the mental health facility and the drug house at the y.m.c.a and the building across the street from it, people can't even go to the citycenter without being bothered by the street people, i think columbus is a great city but needs to put the foot down when it comes to drugs and crime, don't ignore it, address it and take care of it, columbus has the money to do it, columbus loves to be a first place city, we have the ability and resources to do it, we just have to take back our city and set the example for the rest, i really believe this.

We need a good, tough-minded mayor who's not afraid to offend people or bust some heads.

[proud buckeye]

its good to see someone post who acts like he's gotta pair, i hate to say this but the crap we get is the crap we deserve, why, because we put up with the crap, i guess i have strong opinions when it comes to crime, drugs and all the rest of the bull, i'm a vet and am still keep the mindset that seniors, children and those unable to protect themselves have rights too, i've have zero tolorence when its comes to people who ignore real problems and live in their lazy fantasy land, people think we got problems now, the world war two vets are dying off so fast and the principles are too, really, who's running the show now?

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by proud buckeye

its good to see someone post who acts like he's gotta pair, i hate to say this but the crap we get is the crap we deserve, why, because we put up with the crap, i guess i have strong opinions when it comes to crime, drugs and all the rest of the bull, i'm a vet and am still keep the mindset that seniors, children and those unable to protect themselves have rights too, i've have zero tolorence when its comes to people who ignore real problems and live in their lazy fantasy land, people think we got problems now, the world war two vets are dying off so fast and the principles are too, really, who's running the show now?

Thank you very kindly, Proud Buckeye.

Also...I want to extend a big, hearty THANKS! for your service to our country back in the day. It isn't said nearly often enough, but as a grateful citizen I'd just like to express how much you & all your brother Veterans are truly appreciated.

[streetcreed]

Once again, to the post above that said going down high st from worthington to downtown, "you see crackheads everywhere."

I am actually trained in drug investigation as well. And yet it's true that you will see a few shady people, but thats 3 for every 1,000 normal person that walks by. Saying that its just crackheads on high st. would give someone not from columbus the completely wrong impression. People that live in the areas such as campus, the short north are use to the concept that they live in a city and that the short north is a nice area, but every once in awhile you see someone poorer than you among many that are very very very well off.

It is an unjust generalization to say that high st. has nothing but bad people on it. That's insane to suggest, the high st. corridor is seeing a lot of growth and even further gentrifiation right now, but columbus is a large city and with that comes a few negatives.

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by streetcreed

And yet it's true that you will see a few shady people, but thats 3 for every 1,000 normal person that walks by.

I suspect the proportion of freaks:normal people is quite a bit higher than 3:1000, but I'm not here to quibble about numbers.

Problem is, there are certain times of day when all the normal people have gone home, back to either suburbia or the gentrified near-Downtown enclaves, all just about ALL that's left are the prostitutes, gangbangers, meth- and crack-addicts.

As you've pointed out many times, yes: there are nicely gentrified areas close to Downtown. In the Short North, Brewery District or Arena District on any given night, you'll see hip and sophisticated people out for fun. But the city's core around Capitol Square at night is just not the place to be for anything good. To a large extent the same can be said for South Campus, the further one moves from Gateway.

When you state that denizens of the fashionable urban precincts like Vic Village, Italian Village, etc. "are used to the concept that they live in a city," I wonder, does the concept of living in a city always mean you must resign yourself to finding vomit-reeking bums outside, homeless cokeheads urinating on the sidewalk, and/or thugs intent on stealing your wallet, all within yards of your home?

This isn't just "live and let live" I'm talking about. This is large-scale social dysfunction, and I find it utterly unacceptable in any setting—urban or otherwise.