Downtown Minneapolis is not safe - WHY? (Grant, Nicollet: 2015, crime rates)

[Thedosius]

Originally Posted by Lodestar

Liberal policies.

Light rail has also contributed to the problem by giving crime-minded people mobility.

Thanks for your opinion. As a contrast, I'd like to cite reality:

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Notice how red states are red to indicate high crime and not just conservative politics?

[Hockeygirl063]

I think it is pretty true for any large city that there is more crime at night, especially when there are a lot of people and some are drinking. Opportunity to commit crimes is there.

Petty crimes is one thing but how many murders occur in Minneapolis, how many drive by shootings?

It has been fairly quiet here where I live. But I don't pay that close of attention to downtown PDX, as I rarely go there at night. I am not afraid or anything but I just don't like crowds and being around intoxicated people.

[Cryptic]

Originally Posted by MassVt

And yet another who needs a tinfoil adjustment..

I keep my tinfoil hat lined with lead. That aside....


I know many of the independent business owners in a small corner of the DFW metroplex by name. As the DART rail expanded, it brought them new customers. It also brought an increase in vagrants and semi homeless youth. This led to a modest increase in crime.

There have been no murders, rapes, armed robberies or mass shootings. Rather, a semi homeless boy grabbed the employee tip jar at one place and did a 100 meter dash with it around the corner. More unlocked cars have been pilfered, and more purses left momentarily unattended in stores have "walked away" with certain customers.

[Thedosius]

Originally Posted by Cryptic

I know many of the independent business owners in a small corner of the DFW metroplex by name. As the DART rail expanded, it brought them new customers. It also brought an increase in vagrants and semi homeless youth. This led to a modest increase in crime.

You mean more people means more crime? Who would have guessed? Thanks for the anecdote!

[Cryptic]

Originally Posted by Thedosius

You mean more people means more crime?

Yes.

And more semi homeless youth instead of more say, software engineers, and medical students means more crime still.

Who would ever guess?

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by Lodestar

Liberal policies.

Light rail has also contributed to the problem by giving crime-minded people mobility.

Because criminals don't drive?

[polo_golf_guy]

Is it really that unsafe?

I am aware of some shootings at bar close. It's not like this happens every weekend. It is the city so remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings.

I work downtown and haven't felt unsafe. Sometimes we go out for dates and haven't had any issues. I suppose you have criminals coming down to go clubbing and look for some drunks to rob.

There was just a shooting at Maple Grove's AMC theater is that unsafe too?

[montymontage]

I live downtown and disagree that it's especially unsafe. True, there are occasional shootings. Yes, one will see bands of youths engaged in some degree of knuckle-dragging. There are some people down on their luck--of whom a few are mentally unstable and/or at the end of their patience. In my opinion, the very presence of any of the above, tends to make some people exaggerate the actual threat level.

On a day to day basis I certainly see the above. Far more frequently, I see people going to and from work, dinning, shopping, whatever.

And the idea that light rail enables crime....if that's true, let us equally condemn the internal combustion engine, the interstate system, the steam engine, the horse, and even the evolutionary move to bipedalism.

[Lodestar]

"And the idea that light rail enables crime....if that's true, let us equally condemn the internal combustion engine, the interstate system, the steam engine, the horse, and even the evolutionary move to bipedalism."

You've missed the point. It's not the motion or the speed that contributes to the crime. It is the higher concentration of people in areas. Portland, OR, which touts the safety of its light rail, saw a 32% increase in crime when they implemented their light rail system.

Very little investigation has been done so far on the relationship between light rail and crime so it's difficult to establish a definitive answer either way. And the factors at play are complicated. But it's a well known fact that public transportation in urban areas has more than its share of crime.

[uptown_urbanist]

there have been studies on specific lines (i.e. the green line in LA) showing no increase in crime related to the introduction of light rail.

Other studies have suggested that public transportation actually reduces crime.

In any case, while there isn't an overwhelming amount of evidence either way, it's not a "well known fact" that public transportation in urban areas is somehow a crime magnet.