Wikitravel Gives Bad Review of Little Rock (Benton: violent crime, home)

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by SwinerBock

It's funny you mention Shreveport's Boardwalk. I visited there for the first time recently. Nice looking place. Anyway, we were walking around there on a Sunday morning ... lemme stress... a SUNDAY morning... around 10:30 AM. I was sitting on one of the benches waiting for the missus to finish up in one store. A younger couple was walking by, the guy with a ballcap on backwards. A bicycle cop happened to be riding by and stopped and told the guy he would have to turn his cap around or take it off, that the Boardwalk had a dress code. The couple looked stunned. And I must admit, I was pretty incredulous myself.

Anyway, back to the original topic. As others have stated, LR's downtown is no more or less dangerous than any other city's downtown. It does, however, pay to use a little common sense. Don't be walking down some dark, unlit streets late at night without your friends Mr Smith and Mr Wesson.

I DEFINITELY don't want to get off-topic in Little Rock's forum, but yeah, the Boardwalk has a dress code and they definitely do enforce it. The reason is because of the shape the other area malls are in due to violence and loitering. The Boardwalk is basically a big outdoor mall and they're trying to keep the image clean and appealing and not run off all the families who are spending money just so some thugs can loiter. And they do have a full-service police substation down there in the parking garage, so there is always a police presence. They are targeting what I call the "thug" demographic, but unfortunately in order to keep from "profiling" based on age, race, etc (they've taken some heat on that topic) they just enforce it on everyone, whether you look like a thug or not. But anyway, just wanted to mention that but didn't want to take away from this thread. Heck I'm sure even folks in Little Rock can understand this, as it seems any decent-sized city has had the same problems in their malls.

[AllenKarber]

LOL, I've seen the fashion police in action in Shreveport at the Boardwalk!

[Timtheman]

Hi Folks,

Look, if you want some perspective and want to talk about this crime issue honestly go to this link and look at crimes based on percentage of population. Bottom line, Little Rock is worse than NYC!!! Much worse!!!
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed

[Timtheman]

And check this out:

"Crime Rates Rise
Wednesday November 12, 2003
According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, Crime in Little Rock has rose 22% in 2002. This makes Little Rock the 3rd most dangerous city in the nation. Atlanta is #2 and St. Louis is #1. On the plus side, most of the crime in Little Rock is property crime and burglary. Little Rock ranks number #26 in violent crime. That's not the best (we were 55 last year) but it's also not the worst!"

Link: http://littlerock.about.com/b/2003/1...rates-rise.htm

A lot of folks have prejudices about "up North" but the fact is, Southern urban crime is really bad!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Timtheman

And check this out:

"Crime Rates Rise
Wednesday November 12, 2003
According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, Crime in Little Rock has rose 22% in 2002. This makes Little Rock the 3rd most dangerous city in the nation. Atlanta is #2 and St. Louis is #1. On the plus side, most of the crime in Little Rock is property crime and burglary. Little Rock ranks number #26 in violent crime. That's not the best (we were 55 last year) but it's also not the worst!"

Link: Crime Rates Rise

A lot of folks have prejudices about "up North" but the fact is, Southern urban crime is really bad!

you need to taka a couple of things into consideration when using stats to prove a point, any point for that matter:

1-how old are those stats? In this case 6 years which means they were probably started 7 years ago and

2-like you have mentioned a lot depends on what kind of cruime plus much depends on the size of the city; they only way one could consider this stat as proof would be if it pertained to cities exactly the same size as Little Rock.

3-most of us know you can look at stats anyway and mske them say what one wants them to say. Is the crime centered in one particular location, is it mostly family or gang related, just to mention a few things. Albuquerque has a very high crime rate but most of the city is completely safe and a good place to live. That is a prime example. I am not judging Little Rock here as I know very little about the area, I have only been through the city a couple of times and once spent the night there. I am simply pointing out, don't put too much into stats..

Nita

[strumpeace]

Crime in the South is generally higher than in other parts of the country. Poverty, unemployment, underemployment, and the prevailing gun culture are just a few of the reasons. By Southern standards, the crime rate in LR is pretty average for a city this size.

[Timtheman]

nmnita,

I don't think we are playing with stats here at all. As the first link indicates, they are adjusted to be made equal by looking at the same quantity -- per 100,000 population. All three of the most violent (not property crimes -- violence) were Southern in 2002 -- Little Rock, St. Louis, Atlanta. It's best to face facts, which strumpeace's post gets at the heart of. Look, I don't like it either. I can't stick my head in the sand though.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by Timtheman

nmnita,

I don't think we are playing with stats here at all. As the first link indicates, they are adjusted to be made equal by looking at the same quantity -- per 100,000 population. All three of the most violent (not property crimes -- violence) were Southern in 2002 -- Little Rock, St. Louis, Atlanta. It's best to face facts, which strumpeace's post gets at the heart of. Look, I don't like it either. I can't stick my head in the sand though.

Am I reading this wrong? Your link says Little Rock is 26th in violent crime. It's third because burglary and property theft are high.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by nmnita

don't put too much into stats..Nita

OH.........!!

*AMEN*, Nita.

I spent ~30 years digesting UCR's and a plethota of other reports that the "three-letter-boys" put out, and they're there for one thing......funding.

A lot of very bad cities don't have the stats, because they will infamously charge a more minor crime so it keeps them looking good.

Now, if LR wants some more bucks, it's not hard for the suits to pump up the figures some so one can run back like chicken little to the council, waving the "confidential" report like a rallying battle flag to make their case.

I would however, get a kick out of some of the really, really small towns reporting.

The town's Chief of Police, who is also the towns only cop, is also the dog catcher, and fixes flats at Skeeter's on weekends, finds a reporting form and fills it out.

Because Mabel & Billy Joe got drunk and fought 4 times last year instead of twice, the town now has a crime explosion, earning them the honor of being the most violent crime ridden city in the county.

Now....if it was a "sundown town" in 1931 also.........!!

[jenni-b]

I guess I won't be visiting the River Market after all.

come on! seriously?

some people just LOOK for things to be scared of.