[ERS-One]

Originally Posted by funymann

I'm telling you it is Michigan!!!!

That place is crazy! Flint is on the top for most violent city. Then Detroit is up there too. Now Kalamazoo!?!

I think the weather does have something to do with it. There is no sun and it is cold for 8 months. Hated it!!!!!!!!!!

Not really.

This is becoming a nationwide problem. I know I've read several stories over the past few years of large bands of teens - and younger - who go around attacking mentally ill, or homeless men - usually a bit past middle age. They videotape it sometimes too. It's screwed up!

10-year-olds attack, beat homeless man, police say

Teen 'sport-killings' of homeless on the rise

Teens attack homeless man in Omaha

Attacks on Homeless People Increasing

That last one mentions a homeless man stabbed to death by teens in Orlando, FL. You know - warm, sunny Florida.

[flyingwriter]

That is SICK!

[flyingwriter]

Originally Posted by WheredoIlive?

I would not be surprised if this was in the NORTH SIDE,

READ GHETTO.

As the economy tanks, the ghettos probably are going to become like the third world, where attacks in the street, even of the innocent just going about their business, will be normal way of doing business.

Probably because this man seemed to have problems, the predators [the wolves always travel in packs, this one seemed to be particularly LARGE] look for the weak to be pounced upon. When I lived in Chicago, this was a rule in fact, as a woman even on the street, see two men together, who looked like they werent attending to business, make sure you cross the street, and AVOID TEENAGERS like the PLAGUE.

Kalamazoo isnt even on my list of places to go.

My first and foremost thinking is AVOID ALL GHETTOS.

Kalamazoo frankly I almost cried seeing how it looked last time I was there, has the extreme wealth with the extreme poverty think going seriously, Increasing seediness next to a few nice new buildings.

I lived in Kalamazoo 8 years and it even had a home robbery, it was the ONE day the German Shepherd my roommate owned was gone.

So they had to be casing the place.

This did happen on the Northside, near the train station. Most of Kzoo is a perfectly fine, non-ghetto place to live. The Northside, and to some extent the Eastside are pretty bad, however.

[darstar]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

This did happen on the Northside, near the train station. Most of Kzoo is a perfectly fine, non-ghetto place to live. The Northside, and to some extent the Eastside are pretty bad, however.

Kzoo was a nice city , with a downtown that has been updated to modern standards.. Lots of niche restaurants, shopping , and places for entertainment.
An oasis in an otherwise very rural part of Michigan. I always enjoyed my weekly visits ( except for the traffic ). Underlying however was a thin underbelly, of poverty , crime , and urban ghetto. I new it was there , just did not want to see or hear of it..... I am sure its worse these days , as all places.
The poor are throwing rocks at the rich , and , the youth are angry , without jobs..... Not a good mix , one thats repeated all over America. I am glad I moved far from the madding crowds.... to the UP, I feel safe , for the first time in years....

[MICoastieMom]

Originally Posted by funymann

I'm telling you it is Michigan!!!!

That place is crazy! Flint is on the top for most violent city. Then Detroit is up there too. Now Kalamazoo!?!

I think the weather does have something to do with it. There is no sun and it is cold for 8 months. Hated it!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, Charlie, no cigar. The most violent city in terms of assaults and murders belongs to Charleston, South Carolina. My son was there last year for a law enforcement seminar. One of his collegues was mugged in broad daylight while shooping for souvenirs for his family.

[Bluefly]

^
Orlando, New Orleans, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles... horrific crime in certain areas.

The cold weather /Michigan hypothesis: Fail.

[uggabugga]

i read this a couple nights back on the kzoo gazette web site. the comments section was going fast and furious.

the latest:

Capt. James Mallery, head of Kalamazoo Public Safety's Criminal Investigations Division, said police believe fewer than 10 of the estimated 40 to 50 young people present took part in the assault on Timothy Stafford.

9 punks beat the guy within an inch of his life while 30 to 40 watched and/or cheered them on.
i feel so much better about this now.

[SWV]

Let's get one thing STRAIGHT..
Stop calling it ''THE GHETTO'' just because there's a large number of crime(s) in a ''BLACK AREA'' doesn't mean it's ghetto because if it was a ghetto PARCHMENT would be a ghetto as well.

Another thing, these kids have NOTHING to do. My cousin lives right on the corner of Frank and Westnedge and he always has problems with the same group of kids that jumped the innocent man, in fact most of the time if not ALWAYS it's the kids (ages 12-18) who are the one who's doing most of the crimes.

[SWV]

New Orleans is the most dangerous city in the United States..

Safest and Most Dangerous U.S. Cities, 2008 — Infoplease.com

[WheredoIlive?]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

This did happen on the Northside, near the train station. Most of Kzoo is a perfectly fine, non-ghetto place to live. The Northside, and to some extent the Eastside are pretty bad, however.

Well the train station is very near, downtown, I used to use it a lot. That was a place I used to be all the time. The Mission was there, but no one bothered anyone usually. Sad to hear it is getting that bad. Portage is fine and some other areas, so you are right about that. It is sad, how so many big cities have these horrible ghettos.