Is random crime in KC getting as bad as it looks? (Kansas City: 2015, violent crime)

[kalisti]

Is it possible that crimes are happening more throughout the metro, rather than in pockets, because the East Side is becoming deserted? Abandoned homes getting torn down, more of the older generation dying and their decendents not claiming property, leaving more blight, people (honest and criminal) moving to suburbs from the east side, or other parts of the metro that aren't traditionally "bad"? I think gentrification may have something to do with it, also. Areas of the city that weren't so popular now have nightlife and restaurants and shops. I know in my hometown, my old neighborhood is in the process of gentrification and random crime is spiking there, too. I used to live in Lawrence, it was not uncommon for a holdup to be committed by people from Topeka who figured college students would make easy targets. Drunk people and out-of-towners are also easy targets.

And as previously mentioned, we are in the era of constant communication. We are definitely hearing more about things we may never have heard about pre-internet.

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by Northeasterner1970

Actually, respect for police officers is at one of the highest points ever, even among minorites

Poll: Respect for local police near all-time high - CNNPolitics.com

But, it could either be a anomaly(the city I live in had a very bad year for murders last year, but is now back to normal or even less) or it could have to due with increasing herion/opined use throughout the US and that could be fueling crime

But so many policeman have been killed this year, more than I ever remember.

[CrownVic95]

Originally Posted by luzianne

Yes, I think it has gotten worse and like you said, it's not confined to the typical high crime areas anymore.


I think crime in general has increased nationwide recently. I think there's a lack of respect for law enforcement (maybe since Ferguson MO? - I don't know) and that in part is responsible. And other than that - gangs? drugs? kids? I don't know what it is.

What strikes me, luzianne, about this thread is the profound difference in the nature and tone of the discussion from what it would have been, and has been time and time again, if you had started it.

You would be attacked by the very people suddenly seeing and acknowledging what you have been trying to tell them. Kinda like Trump being vilified from the left even when he says many of the same things their heroes do about protecting the regular people's interests.

[PA650]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

You are very wise.

Thank you for the positive response, lovekcmo. They are not always very positive on a public forum when they're religious in nature, however, I think a lot of it is because of what's going on "behind the scenes" in the spiritual world. A world that is not seen or heard by people in general, materially, that is.

Let me know when that happens. America has always had its unique spin on religion it seems.

Regarding crime in KC, certainly some events have been in the news lately. As a resident of KCMO, I haven't felt any difference in my daily activities. Yet, I'm rarely in Westport at 3am.

[thriftylefty]

Seems like when I was growing up along Quindaro blvd. in the seventies there was always one or two shootings there at least every week. There were also street gangs; 10th St. gang, Q-town gang and one that called itself the Purple gang. You could buy drugs in the open.

It was all concentrated in an area called the North End, the north end of the county. I think as long as it was concentrated in one area it was ignored and seen as something endemic to that area and not society at large. I have family members who could buy houses anywhere in the metro that still live in the north end and have raised college educated children.

[empires228]

When you think about it, the "nice" parts of suburban KC on both sides of the state line aren't very far from not so great areas. The Plaza deals with crime from the east side, and Northern JoCo along the WyCo line doesn't have a good housing stock for the most part so it has been declining for years and Lee's Summit isn't that far from the area where the thugs that helped kill Bannister Mall live. I don't know what crime in Liberty is like, but they're not far from the older parts of Independence and the iffy areas near Worlds/Oceans of Fun. Unless something changes then we're going to see continued growth in places like Platte City, Basehor, and Spring Hill where they can be "far away" from the "thugs." With the K-10 freeway now open in its entirety, I won't be surprised if we see more development in Eudora and Lawrence since a fair number of people in both communities were already making the commute though the decades of road construction. It's kinda funny how Lawrence has grown towards Topeka over the years rather than JoCo.

[WiseOwlSaysHoot]

I think some of the perception of the severity of crime is due to sensationalization by the media. I personally don't often watch local newscasts for this reason (and because the quality of reporting is terrible, in general). I get most of my news online and through apps, and one app I use pulls news stories from all kinds of local sources, so I often see these outrageous headlines that are coming from the local tv stations websites.

For example, there is one headline on the app right now that reads "Witness: Frantic mom brings baby to KC hospital wrapped in bloody blanket" and this one had actually been toned down from the headline on a previous version I saw that mentioned the "sound of screaming". It is just completely over the top and the actual article contains very little factual information.

Unfortunately, it seems like there has been a large amount of these stories about children getting shot. Some of these have been due to their parents being involved in drugs/crime/gangs and the kids getting caught in the crossfire, but a lot of them have also been due to careless gun owners leaving their weapons unlocked (or some unfortunate family murder/suicides that have occurred). Many times you see a sensational headline about a kid getting shot with few details and I think most people assume it is crime, rather that stupidity of gun owners.

Which leads us to the ultimate cause of the increase in these stories about shootings. I'm surprised this has been mentioned yet in this thread (although the theory of these crimes being the result of living in end times the return of Jesus is nigh seems incredibly plausible); it's the guns! There are just way too many guns out there that end up in the hands of idiots.

[Floorist]

Originally Posted by WiseOwlSaysHoot

I think some of the perception of the severity of crime is due to sensationalization by the media. I personally don't often watch local newscasts for this reason (and because the quality of reporting is terrible, in general). I get most of my news online and through apps, and one app I use pulls news stories from all kinds of local sources, so I often see these outrageous headlines that are coming from the local tv stations websites.

For example, there is one headline on the app right now that reads "Witness: Frantic mom brings baby to KC hospital wrapped in bloody blanket" and this one had actually been toned down from the headline on a previous version I saw that mentioned the "sound of screaming". It is just completely over the top and the actual article contains very little factual information.

Unfortunately, it seems like there has been a large amount of these stories about children getting shot. Some of these have been due to their parents being involved in drugs/crime/gangs and the kids getting caught in the crossfire, but a lot of them have also been due to careless gun owners leaving their weapons unlocked (or some unfortunate family murder/suicides that have occurred). Many times you see a sensational headline about a kid getting shot with few details and I think most people assume it is crime, rather that stupidity of gun owners.

Which leads us to the ultimate cause of the increase in these stories about shootings. I'm surprised this has been mentioned yet in this thread (although the theory of these crimes being the result of living in end times the return of Jesus is nigh seems incredibly plausible); it's the guns! There are just way too many guns out there that end up in the hands of idiots.

Actually, according to the FBI, shootings are down, as is all crime. Just more media coverage, because it sells.

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by CrownVic95

What strikes me, luzianne, about this thread is the profound difference in the nature and tone of the discussion from what it would have been, and has been time and time again, if you had started it.

Very true. Thank you for saying what no one else will.

[thriftylefty]

A cursory review of the stats on the data side of this website show a decline. I would bet that there is now more crime in parts of the metro where it was once rarely ever seen and that gives us the sense that you can't get away from it which makes it seem worse.