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Old 07-30-2015, 01:55 PM
 
1 posts, read 4,768 times
Reputation: 10

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I know every city has it's up's and downs, but with a city the size of Burlington,
(Iowa) there's no excuse for such a rising crime problem. It is my understanding
from alot of sources that you people have so many Chicago gang members there,
and this has been going on for a very long time. There is even denial by many long
time residents there that this is even happening, because they don't want to admit
that there is a serious gang problem in your city. How did this happen. How did the
get from Chicago to Burlington? Overnight? Do you think they just wake up one morning
and say to themselves, let's go take over Burlington? No, I don't think so. Something
happened, so how did it happen and who knew this?
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Old 07-30-2015, 02:26 PM
 
Location: Jonesboro
3,874 posts, read 4,659,331 times
Reputation: 5364
Please support such a contention with more than hearsay, as in "It is my understanding..." & supply factual crime data.
Similarly on a thread here in the Iowa forum a couple of years ago, I found a claim by another member that there were "...many murders in Mason City..".
In rebuttal, I linked the C-D data page on Mason City & it's crime stats that showed that to not be the case at all. In fact, murder was and is a very rare occurrence in Mason City.
So, this time rather than me do the work here & provide the stats for Burlington, how about if you do it, silent-sentry.
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Old 07-30-2015, 04:59 PM
 
9,478 posts, read 12,215,835 times
Reputation: 8764
This isn't a new thing. Back in the late 80s there was discussion in the media in Burlington about the influx of gang members from Chicago. it's not a suddenly new issue.
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Old 07-30-2015, 08:31 PM
 
3 posts, read 6,873 times
Reputation: 10
I don't think of Burlington (as a whole) as being unsafe. There may be areas that have higher crime rates, just like many other cities in the US, but overall Burlington seems like a decent place to live.
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Old 07-31-2015, 11:39 AM
 
Location: Calera, AL
1,485 posts, read 2,227,345 times
Reputation: 2419
As a whole, Burlington has somewhat higher crime than the US average

High for Iowa standards? Absolutely. But it's nowhere near as bad as say, Gary or East St. Louis.
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Old 07-31-2015, 11:45 AM
 
Location: Des Moines Metro
5,103 posts, read 8,543,352 times
Reputation: 9793
My sense just from passing through was that it's like Des Moines: there are several small areas where there's a concentration of druggies and gang members. Avoid those areas after dark and you'll be fine. The police do a pretty good job of containing the problems.
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Old 07-31-2015, 01:05 PM
 
9,478 posts, read 12,215,835 times
Reputation: 8764
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meemur View Post
My sense just from passing through was that it's like Des Moines: there are several small areas where there's a concentration of druggies and gang members. Avoid those areas after dark and you'll be fine. The police do a pretty good job of containing the problems.

It's not even as scary as Des Moines, IMO, and Des Moines isn't that scary.
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Old 08-25-2015, 01:07 PM
 
Location: MetroWest Boston
317 posts, read 427,184 times
Reputation: 412
Quote:
Originally Posted by fezzador View Post
As a whole, Burlington has somewhat higher crime than the US average

High for Iowa standards? Absolutely. But it's nowhere near as bad as say, Gary or East St. Louis.
That's kind of the point though, and is what makes it abnormally high. Burlington is an isolated city in Iowa and well removed from a major city, unlike Gary or East St. Louis.
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Old 08-25-2015, 01:14 PM
 
Location: MetroWest Boston
317 posts, read 427,184 times
Reputation: 412
Quote:
Originally Posted by atler8 View Post
Please support such a contention with more than hearsay, as in "It is my understanding..." & supply factual crime data.
Similarly on a thread here in the Iowa forum a couple of years ago, I found a claim by another member that there were "...many murders in Mason City..".
In rebuttal, I linked the C-D data page on Mason City & it's crime stats that showed that to not be the case at all. In fact, murder was and is a very rare occurrence in Mason City.
So, this time rather than me do the work here & provide the stats for Burlington, how about if you do it, silent-sentry.
I have to disagree with the necessity of your request. This forum serves a greater purpose that can't be found from many other sources - people who don't live in or aren't familiar with an area can get insight from people who do. For example, I've seen this site benefit many people moving from one part of the country to another, who want firsthand information from locals and residents that can't be communicated through statistics, i.e.: Greatshcools.com may rate a school average at best, but local parents can tell you from firsthand that it's actually an improving hidden gem, or, houses in this part of town are cheaper - why?

In the case of Burlington, it is immensely dependent on firsthand insight. Statistics cannot communicate the fact that 'big-city crimes' such as frequent gang-related shootings and assaults suddenly became all too common, in a rural Iowa town where 10-20 years ago these kind of things were unheard of.
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Old 08-25-2015, 01:31 PM
 
Location: MetroWest Boston
317 posts, read 427,184 times
Reputation: 412
Quote:
Originally Posted by silent-sentry View Post
I know every city has it's up's and downs, but with a city the size of Burlington,
(Iowa) there's no excuse for such a rising crime problem. It is my understanding
from alot of sources that you people have so many Chicago gang members there,
and this has been going on for a very long time. There is even denial by many long
time residents there that this is even happening, because they don't want to admit
that there is a serious gang problem in your city. How did this happen. How did the
get from Chicago to Burlington? Overnight? Do you think they just wake up one morning
and say to themselves, let's go take over Burlington? No, I don't think so. Something
happened, so how did it happen and who knew this?
One popular rumor is that Tyson (a meat production company) advertised Southeastern Iowa jobs in the Chicago area, and would provide bus transporation to a town near Burlington. The quality of the jobs and the location of the advertising brought many people from the high-crime areas of Chicago into the area for work. Burlington, being the largest town in the area, was an ideal place to find a cheap place to rent. Cost of living is very low. In addition, the welfare system offers a very easy approval process, comparitively. Once people from the inner city realized these components, traffic from Chicago into Burlington and surrounding areas increased rapidly. What was presumed to be people initially seeking honest work turned into word spreading about how you can cross the border from Illinois just into Iowa (Burlington in particular), rent a place for maybe $300-$400 a month, and claim welfare benefits. In fact, the system was so weakly regulated, I've heard firsthand from landlords who have had tenants claim that they were able to keep Illinois welfare benefits, but also pay the low rent in Burlington and receive Iowa benefits at the same time. From here, the low cost of living, low housing costs, etc., seem to be an ideal spot for this to continue. As a result, big city/gang related types of crime became somewhat common in this town.

Again, this is all heresay, but maybe it is that because this type of data isn't recorded; the statistics to support or refute these things simply aren't there. However, I have heard one statistic quoted to me that you can hunt down if you like - Around 2000, about 5% of the area was on some sort of welfare. By 2012, this number was up to around 25%.

It is also important to note that observation can also tell you that not all crime is committed by 'big-city implants' or gangs. Burlington has had, and continues to have, a growing element of poverty that came about organically. There are plenty of people with roots and generations of family in the area that commit equally outrageous crime.

Since this entire post is based on heresay and observation, I would like to add that the general impression given of Burlington is that it is an awful, unsafe place. This is not the case. This was once a great, wholesome and safe town to raise a family and have a simple life - much of that element still exists. What generates the negative impression is the unusually high crime rate for a city of this nature (well removed from any major city, history of being a low crime, safe and quiet town). While there is an abnormal element of high crime, particularly when compared to the town's history, the city is not unsafe, and if you are looking for that positive wholesome lifestyle, that element is still strongly present, just no longer exclusive.
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