Crime in Madison.... (Sparta, Raymond: rentals, house, safe area)

[liquidsmoke]

For those concerned about certain areas, certain apartment buildings, etc.. one thing to do is go to apartment showings and then actually *walk* around these areas during the day and at night and try to get a feel of what it would be like living there. Sometimes you can tell right away that you wouldn't want to live there.


There will always be some troubled spots in Madison because it is not a small town, it's a small city. Even outside of these areas people do get mugged, have there homes invaded, etc.. theses types of crimes/attacks happen several times a week and many of them are reported in the paper. Most cities Madison's size have a lot more of these types of things going on though.

If Madison seems too dangerous for you, well you need to look into moving to a small town and even then do your research. For a real city with a bit of actual life and culture to it Madison is about as safe as they come, even now.

[gold*dust1]

Originally Posted by liquidsmoke

For those concerned about certain areas, certain apartment buildings, etc.. one thing to do is go to apartment showings and then actually *walk* around these areas during the day and at night and try to get a feel of what it would be like living there. Sometimes you can tell right away that you wouldn't want to live there.

Good advice!

[Megan1967]

Originally Posted by Frau Kartoffelkopf

On a side note, I was told to avoid apartments along the Verona/ highway 151. Are there specific areas along the highway, or just the entire highway?

Pretty much the entire area, including several blocks on either side, esp to the east of Verona Road - don't even go there.

As a rule of thumb if a place appears to be a "really good deal," odds are it isn't.

[Frau Kartoffelkopf]

I can't exactly go walking around these neighborhoods because I LIVE IN INDIANA which is why I've been asking on these forums, but great advice for people who live in Madison, thanks.

And I fully understand about the whole "Madison is super safe for a city it's size", but I'm from the country and am not used to the whole crime thing. I'd rather introduce myself to it slowly. I think the whole problem here is the definition of "safe" for people who don't live in cities is so radically different from people who do live in cities.

And I can't just forget about moving to a city because of my degree. I want to live in a city. I'm just not that stupid that I would move from the middle of nowhere to a bad part of town and think I would last more than a week. Which is why I'm doing so much research before I go there.

Oh, and I'm going to Madison the end of August! So maybe I can get a feel for the city firsthand.

[mommyntheoc]

I don't think you'll have any problems here...Madison, despite reading all the police reports and digging up all the dirt I could, feels very safe all around...in every part. Coming from a VERY safe place...I feel just fine here and I'm fairly certain you would to! Really...check it out as always if you can, but if you couldn't, I'd still say you'd feel safe here!

[liquidsmoke]

Originally Posted by Frau Kartoffelkopf

I can't exactly go walking around these neighborhoods because I LIVE IN INDIANA which is why I've been asking on these forums, but great advice for people who live in Madison, thanks

Good point. I will admit there are areas that I wouldn't live here.

[TheScorpion1120]

Originally Posted by ryanj0

Alright, undesirable, I will give you that. Dangerous for Madison, I will give you that. But dangerous in general, not so much. That is all I am saying, I was just pointing out that reading some posts it makes it seem like shootings happen weekly or daily. In the whole city of Madison, with the exception of certain waves of crime (which I will give you do seem to rotate around, one year the wave may be in the Allied Drive area, one year it may be badger road, another a little further down park st, another Hammersly area, another McKenna, another in Fitchburg/Fish Hatch), I will give you that these waves that usually last a month or two at most, but with the exception of these waves it is uncommon to even have a shooting once every month in the whole city.

I would agree these areas are not desirable, but the context in which people place them on these boards makes it sound worse than it is that's all I'm saying. Let's not use Detroit as an example to compare it to, Detroit is much bigger. Let's say Gary, IN. Half the size of Madison, and there you do have areas where there is real crime on a consistent basis. Madison doesn't have that. And when it does, for at most a month or two, it is handled very quickly. That's all I'm saying. Things should be put in context, desirable no, but also a no for any street or block in Madison is having to fear for your life. Now, if you live the dangerous lifestyle, then you may fit in the area of targeted crime then maybe, but if you don't then nowhere in Madison do you need to fear for your life. I stand by that.

Dear RyanJ,

I couldn't figure out which of the many ludicrous dismissives you posted to various peoples thoroughly valid points on this first page of "Madison Crime" to respond to so I just randomly picked this one. It doesn't matter if you're from Detroit and the streets are grimmier and more run down. Every city in America has something about it that makes it distinct. For virtually a century, in Detroit it has been the automotive industry. Industry brings blue-collar, brings lower-income, brings lay-offs, brings crime. Socio-economic cycles hold true all over. Madison has predominantly been an academic, cultural melting pot. Problem is, over the last decade or two, it's been less of a melting pot and more of a tossed salad. I went to high school here, at West High, over a decade ago and let me assure everyone there were indeed gangs here back then as well. However, Crime Has Increased! And until you are the victim of it you have no real knowledge of that which you trying dismiss. I lived for many years in my early twenties in North Long Beach, CA - you may have heard of the ol' LBC and the bloods and the crips. Well there are actually hundreds of gangs out there and I lived in and amongst them with no problem for several years. Anyone who has lived in similar settings may know that the rule of survival is go about your business respectful of your surroundings, show no fear but show no attitude either. Make no prolonged eye contact, but look not away either. Do not cross the street while being noticed, it's a sign of weakness and disrespect. Do these things and for the most part you will be fine. Admittedly anything can happen to anyone at any time. The problem in Madison is the rise of adolescent and young adult crime. Juvenile delinquents in this politically correct, "kid gloves" city are not properly constrained, much less prosecuted when they act out. The adhere to no principals, mores, guidelines, or authority. And no one makes them! I lived 30 years without incident in some of the most poverty stricken parts of this country but it only took one night, after a Northside "dance" for these little miscreants at Warner Park Community Recreation Center let out several hundred of these unsupervised, unchaperoned, and unpoliced little ****s into the community at large. I had the misfortune to have to walk betwixt about 2 dozen of them on the corner of Northport and Sherman coming home from Pierce's Northside Market. I said nothing. I walked calmly and forthrightly - hell, as far as I knew, I had no reason not to. They circled me like hyenas for no reason other than their own retard, underdeveloped since of amusement. The jumped me and gave me a concussion. All things considered I'm sure I got lucky. I've carried a lock blade pocket knife for my entire adult life, and with or without it I probably could have thoroughly trounced any one, two or three of them - but eighteen, hell no. And I wasn't the only person they assaulted that night. Apparently an undercover officer saw the whole thing from across the street. Guess how long it took him to cross the street, break them up, and arrest them? He didn't. I called 911. Almost 10 minutes later an officer came to take my statement. I was trying to get him to head down the street they'd fled down to catch some of them. He was more concerned with telling me he could have cited me for having the knife I didn't use and voluntarily divulged having and informing about the officer who witnessed the assault insinuate I'd provoked them by walking through them along the sidewalk.
So no, bub, Madison is not exactly safe. It's not Afghanistan either mind you. But we don't pay the taxes we pay, and the cost for the desired standard of living that we do to have to mitigate our safety under any circumstances or by any manner of rationalization.
Period.

[TheScorpion1120]

oh, and my fiancee is from Brooklyn as well, and we are getting the hell out of here at out earliest convenience.

[ryanj0]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion1120

Dear RyanJ,

I couldn't figure out which of the many ludicrous dismissives you posted to various peoples thoroughly valid points on this first page of "Madison Crime" to respond to so I just randomly picked this one. It doesn't matter if you're from Detroit and the streets are grimmier and more run down. Every city in America has something about it that makes it distinct. For virtually a century, in Detroit it has been the automotive industry. Industry brings blue-collar, brings lower-income, brings lay-offs, brings crime. Socio-economic cycles hold true all over. Madison has predominantly been an academic, cultural melting pot. Problem is, over the last decade or two, it's been less of a melting pot and more of a tossed salad. I went to high school here, at West High, over a decade ago and let me assure everyone there were indeed gangs here back then as well. However, Crime Has Increased! And until you are the victim of it you have no real knowledge of that which you trying dismiss. I lived for many years in my early twenties in North Long Beach, CA - you may have heard of the ol' LBC and the bloods and the crips. Well there are actually hundreds of gangs out there and I lived in and amongst them with no problem for several years. Anyone who has lived in similar settings may know that the rule of survival is go about your business respectful of your surroundings, show no fear but show no attitude either. Make no prolonged eye contact, but look not away either. Do not cross the street while being noticed, it's a sign of weakness and disrespect. Do these things and for the most part you will be fine. Admittedly anything can happen to anyone at any time. The problem in Madison is the rise of adolescent and young adult crime. Juvenile delinquents in this politically correct, "kid gloves" city are not properly constrained, much less prosecuted when they act out. The adhere to no principals, mores, guidelines, or authority. And no one makes them! I lived 30 years without incident in some of the most poverty stricken parts of this country but it only took one night, after a Northside "dance" for these little miscreants at Warner Park Community Recreation Center let out several hundred of these unsupervised, unchaperoned, and unpoliced little ****s into the community at large. I had the misfortune to have to walk betwixt about 2 dozen of them on the corner of Northport and Sherman coming home from Pierce's Northside Market. I said nothing. I walked calmly and forthrightly - hell, as far as I knew, I had no reason not to. They circled me like hyenas for no reason other than their own retard, underdeveloped since of amusement. The jumped me and gave me a concussion. All things considered I'm sure I got lucky. I've carried a lock blade pocket knife for my entire adult life, and with or without it I probably could have thoroughly trounced any one, two or three of them - but eighteen, hell no. And I wasn't the only person they assaulted that night. Apparently an undercover officer saw the whole thing from across the street. Guess how long it took him to cross the street, break them up, and arrest them? He didn't. I called 911. Almost 10 minutes later an officer came to take my statement. I was trying to get him to head down the street they'd fled down to catch some of them. He was more concerned with telling me he could have cited me for having the knife I didn't use and voluntarily divulged having and informing about the officer who witnessed the assault insinuate I'd provoked them by walking through them along the sidewalk.
So no, bub, Madison is not exactly safe. It's not Afghanistan either mind you. But we don't pay the taxes we pay, and the cost for the desired standard of living that we do to have to mitigate our safety under any circumstances or by any manner of rationalization.
Period.

Hmm... Please read the dismissives you mention before you try to correct me again, will you?? I am sorry what happened to you happened and I never pretended Madison had no crime... What I was merely saying was to put the crime in specific areas more in context... You completely twisted my words to make it sound like I was saying Madison was completely safe. Thanks for that, maybe I'll run against you in an election sometime, then we shall at least have a reason for word twisting... And statements like "You don't know crime until you have experienced it"... Please man, are you serious??? How are you gonna come on here and pretend you know what crime I have experienced and haven't???

Don't pretend you know my background or what I have been through as well... And I am aware of the roots of crime in Detroit... Maybe you have lived there and maybe you have not, I will not pretend to know, as I am not like you and I don't pretend to know people's backgrounds... But when crime is tallyed up and America's most dangerous cities are calculated, every year it bounces between Detroit and St. Louis... There's a national news blurb but few ever really pay any attention... Now, if you need clarification on something I have wrote thus far in ANY post, please pm me before you twist my words or pretend to know my background... And I truly hope you get out of Brooklyn.. Have a great day..

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Drover

There is clearly a growing perception that serious crime is on the rise and Madison is starting to see issues with gangs while the idea of gangs in Madison was almost laughable 10 years ago.

People were definitely aware of gangs in Madison ten years ago. But the people who think crime is a growing issue in Madison just need to take a chill pill and realize that a few isolated incidents don't constitute a trend. Heck, even a couple of rough years in a row could be anomalous, and don't constitute a trend.