[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by chiroptera

Which begs the question...is poverty actually a causitive factor in crime, or is a certain segment of any population simply more prone to being poor and engaged in criminal/low impulse control acts?
OR is the way we categorize crime inherently prejudicial? There are many who would say they've been robbed of more money by the government and corporate marketers (me) than the stereotypical low-life thieves, robbers and evildoers.
I will categorically state that I have, over the course of my life, been "robbed" of more money by credit card companies, corporations, advertisers, and relatively well-off people than I have by black/crackhead/low life/druguser/white trash people. And not only has my life so far been fairly long, I've spent quite a bit of it living amongst really poor people.

ha ha. Excellent point. I have lived among poor people most of life until a couple of years ago. Now I live among some pretty wealthy people. The difference is I do not have to worry about a drive by shooting or a crackhead knocking on my door asking for a ride or money.

[gogetta]

Originally Posted by fallingwater

So true. I moved to Indiana 2 years ago and live just outside of South Bend. I was pretty shocked by the crime. The city has a population of about a 100,000 people and there is a murder on the news almost every night. When I tell people that I am from the Detroit area, they give me that look and say "oooohhh, Detroit is sooo bad." I want to laugh. Its like helllo people? Do you NOT watch the news in your city? To me, its a small town with big city crime.

That is such bs, it really bothers me when people say things like this. Unless you live in one of the biggest cities in this country than this is never the case. South Bend gets about 10-20 homicides a year. Sometimes less, so you should go weeks without hearing of a murder on the news. 345 plus days of news without a murder to report doesn't seem like every day.

[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by gogetta

That is such bs, it really bothers me when people say things like this. Unless you live in one of the biggest cities in this country than this is never the case. South Bend gets about 10-20 homicides a year. Sometimes less, so you should go weeks without hearing of a murder on the news. 345 plus days of news without a murder to report doesn't seem like every day.

You are correct. I meant to say shooting, not murder. My error. Thank you for correcting me. Niles, MI has been on my mind since there has been 3 murders in the past couple of weeks. The west side of SB has a lot of issues. My husband works in this area and has seen quite a few disturbing things just in his daily commutes, including a recent gang fight in the middle of Lincolnway, which by the way did not make the news. The problem I have is that people make the reference that Detroit is so awful when they know little about it and think they are safe when in fact South Bend has a high crime rate. I was very disappointed in this fact because with Notre Dame right here, this area could really be a booming college town if they got a handle on the crime and blight.

[gogetta]

Originally Posted by fallingwater

You are correct. I meant to say shooting, not murder. My error. Thank you for correcting me. Niles, MI has been on my mind since there has been 3 murders in the past couple of weeks. The west side of SB has a lot of issues. My husband works in this area and has seen quite a few disturbing things just in his daily commutes, including a recent gang fight in the middle of Lincolnway, which by the way did not make the news. The problem I have is that people make the reference that Detroit is so awful when they know little about it and think they are safe when in fact South Bend has a high crime rate. I was very disappointed in this fact because with Notre Dame right here, this area could really be a booming college town if they got a handle on the crime and blight.

Ok gotch!It just bothers me when people exaggerate so much,but shootings are more of a daily occurence that is for sure. Anyways isn't SB known to have a lot of strip joints??? JW if that is the city in Indiana that I am thinking of with all the strip places in town. If it is, it gives it a real sleezy vibe.

[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by gogetta

Ok gotch!It just bothers me when people exaggerate so much,but shootings are more of a daily occurence that is for sure. Anyways isn't SB known to have a lot of strip joints??? JW if that is the city in Indiana that I am thinking of with all the strip places in town. If it is, it gives it a real sleezy vibe.

I think that is Fort Wayne. I say this because guys at hubby's work always talk about how bachelor parties are better held in Fort Wayne due to the plentiful strip joints. I can't recall seeing many strip joints in SB but then again, I am not on the look out for them either. SB ...its not attractive and I know a few ND students that said they were quite surprised when first attending the college and how close the "ghetto" was to campus. I think this also contributes to the crime that has been happening to the ND students. Many are not street wise and walk home alone at 2 in the morning, carrying their 1,000 buck laptop in their bag. They are walking targets. I was pretty excited about the Eddy Street project because its really nice and kind of gives some insight on how awesome the area could be if they continue with it. But like I said, unless crime gets under control, its a mess.

Recently on the news, a war veteran came home after doing 3 stints in Iraq. He did this for the extra bonuses the government pays out. He wanted to pay off his home, which he did. He is very upset due to the fact he constantly has issues with violent crime in his neighborhood. The police told him, his best option is to just move away. I really felt for the guy. He risked his life overseas to maybe now possibly getting killed in his own home on U.S. soil.

You are right that shootings are becoming more common everywhere. Anytime the economy stinks, crime goes up. I am shocked by how many bank robberies have been happening. Most are caught on tape or the dye pack explodes and ruins the money but they keep on tryin.

[StefanProgovac]

Let's not be retarded and blame this on race or rap music (lol what funny **** since a lot of harmless white girls listen to rap) as if everything is a vacuum.

When I started using Detroit public transport one of my most defining experiences was with a white guy. I was 12 years old and not yet fully schooled in street etiquette but he gave me a full course and an opportunity for extra credit.

He had something tattooed on his knuckles as he was leaning over talking to someone else and I tried to read it from my seat being curious. He glanced over, asked 'what up' I froze and he walked over and proceeded to give me the ass-whooping of my life, it was the Black guy next to me who eventually intervened. I was 12 and he was easily 30-something and he taught me not to stare if I couldn't back it up. It took me 1 night in the hospital to learn my lesson.

The point is that it isn't just Blacks but Whites as well in that city. Anyone who lives there, Whites in the burbs Blacks in the burbs grew up in a different world. Detroit has a high crime rate not because of gangs (most of which is a fiction to get more police on the streets) or drugs but because people have little in life and end up with no hope and thus don't give much care about themselves. If they don't care about themselves they are going to care even less about you so if you cross them expect to be ****ed up. If you live there, you'll know a lot of crime is between people who know each other and nothing organized gang-like. You **** on someone you run the risk of him pulling a gun on you one day.

[StefanProgovac]

Originally Posted by jumpygh

I suppose this will get me in trouble, but the thing that most strikes me about these cities is the racial makeup. I don't buy the argument that the reason for the high crime is failed industries. The UP is very depressed, with the mining and logging industries long past their primes. Does the UP have high crime? Um, no.

I remember reading a statistic that put Southern White males much worse than Midwestern White males. Why is that, is it racial or cultural? In fact Southern White males have a higher rate than American-Mexican males. The incidence for violent crime with American-Mexican males is actually on par with White males across the country the reason for increased jail rates (I read) was the American-Mexican population tends to be disproportionaly male and 20-something (due to illegal immigration) and other non-violent offenses (such as immigration violations) once those are factored out the gap disappears.

Certainly living in San Diego I never noticed anything about Mexicans being very prone to violent crime.

[raaa]

Originally Posted by kaypurdue

The population of Flint proper is still hovering around 110,000... so though people are leaving, we're not quite to small town status just yet.

Per capita, at last check we have one of the highest violent crime rates in the country (right up there with Detroit, St. Louis, New Orleans). However, there are safe areas within the city proper - the crime is concentrated within certain pockets. Unemployment certainly is a factor - also drugs, poor education, poor family values, low expectations for our young people... among many other things.

Personally, I think stopping crime starts with teaching our children to keep a cool head in a bad situation, and that thefts, shootings, fistfights, etc. don't solve anything. You can give unemployed Joe Schmoe a job, but if Joe Schmoe is still angry enough at Jack Schmoe to get a gun and shoot him, he will do it whether he has a job or not. Just my two cents.

That sound like Ann Arbor and ypsi were you have very small pockets of crime thoght flint pockets most murder hell since the murder rates so high.

[raaa]

Originally Posted by raaa

That sound like Ann Arbor and ypsi were you have very small pockets of crime thoght flint pockets most murder hell since the murder rates so high.

but Joe Schmoe can hold job because he's not in or out of jail

[raaa]

Originally Posted by StefanProgovac

Let's not be retarded and blame this on race or rap music (lol what funny **** since a lot of harmless white girls listen to rap) as if everything is a vacuum.

When I started using Detroit public transport one of my most defining experiences was with a white guy. I was 12 years old and not yet fully schooled in street etiquette but he gave me a full course and an opportunity for extra credit.

He had something tattooed on his knuckles as he was leaning over talking to someone else and I tried to read it from my seat being curious. He glanced over, asked 'what up' I froze and he walked over and proceeded to give me the ass-whooping of my life, it was the Black guy next to me who eventually intervened. I was 12 and he was easily 30-something and he taught me not to stare if I couldn't back it up. It took me 1 night in the hospital to learn my lesson.

The point is that it isn't just Blacks but Whites as well in that city. Anyone who lives there, Whites in the burbs Blacks in the burbs grew up in a different world. Detroit has a high crime rate not because of gangs (most of which is a fiction to get more police on the streets) or drugs but because people have little in life and end up with no hope and thus don't give much care about themselves. If they don't care about themselves they are going to care even less about you so if you cross them expect to be ****ed up. If you live there, you'll know a lot of crime is between people who know each other and nothing organized gang-like. You **** on someone you run the risk of him pulling a gun on you one day.

A rap music cds is like a voodoo doll lol