Why is the 6th largest city in Ohio so dangerous (Dayton) (Kettering: middle-class, high crime)

[tgasper]

To me the problem with most cities is that the suburbs push the social ills or problems to the core, and then mock the city for not solving their problems. How often do you find homeless shelters, food banks, job & family services, methadone clinics, plasma centers, jails, courthouses etc in the suburbs? Oh no, not in MY back yard. In Oakwood you get stopped for driving a beat up car or for having too dark a complexion or for driving 5 miles over the speed limit. Commit a crime in Dayton and it's doubtful charges will be brought against you. Commit the same one in Greene County and you're going away for 5-10-15 years. Criminals are not stupid, they know what they can get away with and where.

For whatever reason, the Mont County Prosecutor has a reputation for only taking cases that are a slam dunk to preserve his "batting average". The Ohio State Highway Patrol knows that. So the next time you do hear of a major drug bust on I75 or I70, how much do you want to bet it will be right outside the Montgomery County line?

What hurts the Dayton Public School system is the lack of a middle class. The middle class is all about planning for the future - they plan their education, their family, their career, their retirement. Middle class parents are more likely to attend parent teacher conferences or volunteer as homeroom moms. Lower class parents, at least the responsible ones, are likely working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet and can't attend. They don't have a great education so they can't foster and mentor their kids' education. So who is advocating for their kids at school? Who is making the kids do their homework. Can they afford to buy the supplies their kids need to complete homework assignments?

So the middle & upper class flee the inner cities - unless it's a gentrified neighborhood - and then wonder why the inner cities have so many problems?

Sorry, I'll climb down off my soap box, but it's a topic that really concerns me. If I were the Mayor of Dayton, I'd tell the burbs, pay up or take back your problems. Open your own courts, jails, homeless shelters, plasma clinics because you're not using Dayton's any more unless you're willing to pay a premium.

[willabee]

Originally Posted by tgasper

T Open your own courts, jails, homeless shelters, plasma clinics because you're not using Dayton's any more unless you're willing to pay a premium.

Great idea!

[JefferyT]

The Dayton Daily News crime blog has something to say about the murder rate:

DAYTON - Last year’s homicide total was the highest of the decade and comes as the Dayton Police Department said its trying its best to curb gang violence and drug activity all while dwindling its force.

link (http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/daytoncrime/entries/2010/01/04/citys_homicides_in_2009_tie_fo.html - broken link)

Plus some discussion about hot-spots. Note that the east side is safer, but has an increase in property crime:

An overwhelming majority of homicides have occurred in the city’s northwest neighborhoods, especially in the Five Oaks and Dayton View areas, which have been entrenched with gangs, prostitution and drug activity.

Just six of the city’s 42 homicides last year occurred on the city’s east side - though those areas saw increases in residential burglaries and armed robberies last year.

..though I guess armed robbery is sort of a violent crime as well as a proprety crime.

Then there's this item:

Over the last three weeks car break-ins have increased steadily in many southeast neighborhoods...

...More than 10 car break-ins have been reported in east Dayton already this week. Police data shows car break-ins in southeast Dayton neighborhoods went from about six a week in early December to 15 the week of Christmas.

link (http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/daytoncrime/entries/2010/01/08/police_seeing_increase_of_car.html - broken link)

I was interested in this since someone got into my car this week while it was parked downtown. I was on my way to the Spaghetti Warehouse and forgot to lock the car. Coming back, noticed the glove compartment open and the storage well, too. And things strewn about. They got a quarter roll (that I keep for meters) but didn't get any CDs, so I figure this was a quick rip-off by some random passerby.

Make one security mistake in Dayton (like forgetting to lock the car) and you stand a good chance of being ripped-off. So now I get to say I, too, experienced some street crime in Dayton, minor though it was.

[willabee]

Sorry to hear that happened, JeffereyT.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs...se_of_car.html

I would bet with the economy crime is up everywhere. Personally, I have been noticing a lot of mention of Kettering and a few other burbs on the news lately. Beavercreek is mentioned in the link below.

Thieves steal jewelry, escape after mall break-in

[Ilovetheinternet]

It's a darn shame! No jobs, more crime. More segregation, more black on black crime. When are they going to work on these issues!

[willabee]

Who is "they"?

[mrkool]

Originally Posted by dytstandup

I live in West Dayton,Greennwhich village neighborhood known as (G.V.C) and i have witnessed 5 deaths and 10 shoot outs this last past two months. Im bout to graduate so yes i am happy to be on the verge of leaving this city.Can some one tell me why our murder rate is so high but our population is not more than 200k.

Races in Dayton:

• White Non-Hispanic (52.6%)
• Black (43.1%)
• Two or more races (1.8%)
• Hispanic (1.6%)

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Dayton-Ohio.html#ixzz0cEfFPcus

[JefferyT]

I have been noticing a lot of mention of Kettering and a few other burbs on the news lately.

..yeah I heard a candidate for city council in Kettering was concerned about the "Daytonification" or "Daytonization" of Kettering, so I think others are percieving the ills of the city are moving to suburbia.

[willabee]

Originally Posted by JefferyT

..yeah I heard a candidate for city council in Kettering was concerned about the "Daytonification" or "Daytonization" of Kettering

That has to be one of the most ignorant statements I have heard. Tell me they weren't elected?

[JefferyT]

^
I don't know. But he was using "Dayton" as a shorthand for percieved issues of decline in Kettering. These are real issues with some statistical basis. Decline in this case in downward mobility and increasing economic distress. Not so much crime issues.

I should note that this is not necessarily "problem people" moving from Dayton to Kettering, but a generalized increase in poverty, downward mobility, and lower incomes througout the metro area, a trend in which Kettering is sharing.