Compton - Comparing now vs. 8 years ago (Los Angeles, Richmond: 2014, crime rates)

[Bajablazer85]

I've been doing research on buying my first house in the Los Angeles area. Compton neighborhoods are cheap or obvious reasons. I definitely wouldn't want to live in the CPT but I'm willing to entertain the idea (the closest I would get is Willowbrook, because lets be honest, I'm white and I've been scared straight out of Richmond before [Richmond don't mess around ]).

All the threads on these forums that talk about Comption are from '06 and '07 when the crime rates were at their worst of the decade. The latest crime rates I can find for 2012 have gone down enough to spark my interest. Some people I talk to say it isn't bad at all! Others say the opposite.

What's the word on the street, what is it like now in 2014? I'd drive down there and find out for myself, except the horror threads from 8 years ago are saying I shouldn't. Are these stereotypes about Compton obsolete?

[jlloyd87]

I work in Compton Unified, but I wouldn't live there. There are some pretty decent neighborhoods there. Areas near elementary schools tend to be safer than others (which Willowbrook has several elementary schools). The new mayor is undergoing a strong re-branding of the city. She seems to be doing a decent job.

Being white, I have gotten several stares when getting gas or lunch. But, that is also probably because I don't care where I go eat or pump gas and who else is there. I've never felt intimidated though. Compton is just a weird place. I was driving through the city and saw a mini-bike on fire. Nobody was really concerned, and the fire dept was not coming to take care of it. Just based on my own experiences, it's not crime ridden like people make it out to be. If you can ignore the occasional scary moments then you're fine. And just take steps to be safer. Don't leave anything in your car.

One bonus, everybody thinks you're a bada** for being associated with Compton. I went on a fishing trip in Portland and as we were making small talk, it came up that I work there. Now, I work in elementary schools in Compton. VERY tame stuff, but you would have thought that I had to carry a gun to survive.

[infinitekid]

Originally Posted by jlloyd87

I work in Compton Unified, but I wouldn't live there. There are some pretty decent neighborhoods there. Areas near elementary schools tend to be safer than others (which Willowbrook has several elementary schools). The new mayor is undergoing a strong re-branding of the city. She seems to be doing a decent job.

Being white, I have gotten several stares when getting gas or lunch. But, that is also probably because I don't care where I go eat or pump gas and who else is there. I've never felt intimidated though. Compton is just a weird place. I was driving through the city and saw a mini-bike on fire. Nobody was really concerned, and the fire dept was not coming to take care of it. Just based on my own experiences, it's not crime ridden like people make it out to be. If you can ignore the occasional scary moments then you're fine. And just take steps to be safer. Don't leave anything in your car.

One bonus, everybody thinks you're a bada** for being associated with Compton. I went on a fishing trip in Portland and as we were making small talk, it came up that I work there. Now, I work in elementary schools in Compton. VERY tame stuff, but you would have thought that I had to carry a gun to survive.

gangster teacher

[John_marts]

Originally Posted by jlloyd87

I work in Compton Unified, but I wouldn't live there. There are some pretty decent neighborhoods there. Areas near elementary schools tend to be safer than others (which Willowbrook has several elementary schools). The new mayor is undergoing a strong re-branding of the city. She seems to be doing a decent job.

Being white, I have gotten several stares when getting gas or lunch. But, that is also probably because I don't care where I go eat or pump gas and who else is there. I've never felt intimidated though. Compton is just a weird place. I was driving through the city and saw a mini-bike on fire. Nobody was really concerned, and the fire dept was not coming to take care of it. Just based on my own experiences, it's not crime ridden like people make it out to be. If you can ignore the occasional scary moments then you're fine. And just take steps to be safer. Don't leave anything in your car.

One bonus, everybody thinks you're a bada** for being associated with Compton. I went on a fishing trip in Portland and as we were making small talk, it came up that I work there. Now, I work in elementary schools in Compton. VERY tame stuff, but you would have thought that I had to carry a gun to survive.

Interesting stuff. That's the same way I feel regarding not caring where you go/surroundings. I've walked through "rough" neighborhoods at night and during the day and from what I've learned, as long as you act normal and mind your business you should be fine. I plan on strolling through Compton when I visit LA soon.

[bpeeps]

Pfft. You west coasters. Present day Compton doesn't even hold a candle to Detroit.

[MordinSolus]

Originally Posted by bpeeps

Pfft. You west coasters. Present day Compton doesn't even hold a candle to Detroit.

Neither does Syria...

[Bajablazer85]

Originally Posted by bpeeps

Pfft. You west coasters. Present day Compton doesn't even hold a candle to Detroit.

And Stephen Hawking couldn't even hold a candle to Mike Tyson. Your point is?

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by Bajablazer85

And Stephen Hawking couldn't even hold a candle to Mike Tyson. Your point is?

I'll spell it out, since that analogy has some difficult syllables to pronounce: Compton is fine.

[Bajablazer85]

Saying Detroit is worse than Compton is a very obvious statement...like, no, duh. Detroit is pretty much worst case scenario. That wasn't a very helpful post.

I'm asking if Compton has been getting better since 8 years ago.

Originally Posted by bpeeps

Compton is fine.

People keep telling me this. That's great and all, but I'd like to hear some reasons why you think that's true. It's hard to take that statement seriously by itself with no evidence, let alone with the crime statistics of the area.

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by Bajablazer85

Saying Detroit is worse than Compton is a very obvious statement...like, no, duh. Detroit is pretty much worst case scenario. That wasn't a very helpful post.

I'm asking if Compton has been getting better since 8 years ago.

People keep telling me this. That's great and all, but I'd like to hear some reasons why you think that's true. It's hard to take that statement seriously by itself with no evidence, let alone with the crime statistics of the area.

Asking if Compton has been getting better since 8 years ago has a very obvious answer... "like no duh". Crime overall in California and the city of Los Angeles is on a steady decline from the 90s, save for a few minor bumps in the road. The reputation of Compton precedes itself so much it borders on a falseness. Not false in the sense that it's a safe city, but in the sense that the danger isn't as prevalent as the reputation it once had. Something that isn't perpetuated by people that live there, but more by people like yourself. And of course, old school hip-hop, though that has severely waned over the years.

So when you ask a question about the crime of Compton, I assume some of that curiosity comes from its reputation. Which is why I made a comparison with Detroit, a city that has had a bad rep for years and is still indicative of that rep. Compton is not.

If you want crime statistics, you can use Google (or the site you're posting on) that show a trend in decline. If you want experiences from people who've been in Compton and have done work there and have a reference to other dangerous cities in the US, then listen when they tell you Compton is fine.

Aggressive policing against gangs and the rise and fall of the crack epidemic in the 80s, led to drug related crimes decreasing. The city has put a lot of resources into beautification, cleanup, and graffiti removal. Education plays another role in the upbringing of people who are now young adults. The generation that perpetuated a lot of crimes in the 90s have grown up, been incarcerated (rehabilitated or deterred) in a city that evolved and changed. Even the demographics of Compton are changing as more and more immigration from the south moves in.