What is with all the shootings lately? (Clarksville, Murfreesboro: apartment, motel)

[BayAreaDave]

Originally Posted by Drake744

San Diego and LA. One part of SD I lived in for a period isn't terribly desirable I guess. Kinda dingy and just...bleh. Still never really felt unsafe even though we had a free-standing house

Just curious, because LA is well known in popular culture for its wealth and for its ghettos. Where in Nashville would you not walk through alone if you have gone through an LA ghetto. (Im assuming you are reffering to South Central, or East LA)

[Drake744]

Originally Posted by BayAreaDave

Just curious, because LA is well known in popular culture for its wealth and for its ghettos. Where in Nashville would you not walk through alone if you have gone through an LA ghetto. (Im assuming you are reffering to South Central, or East LA)

Other than occasional East LA, which I wasn't in often, I wouldn't have called where I would be a "ghetto", but it was mainly kinda in the Mid City/Koreatown (sort of)/Rampart area. Areas of 3rd Street, Crenshaw, Beverly, Vermont etc west of downtown. I didn't live there but things would take me around there, mainly at night. Not desirable by any means for the most part. I'd walk alone fairly often. Sure it is worse in some areas but I wouldn't be there if I had (much of) a choice.

Nashville areas I wouldn't go through in that situation are Murfreesboro Road southeast of downtown, 8th Ave South/near Greer Stadium, really anywhere in north Nashville along Dickerson Pike in that area between LP Field and Briley Parkway. Lebanon Pike between Spence Lane and downtown can get a little seedy as well. In my very limited experience there, I'd put Bordeaux on that list also.

[Antioch]

Originally Posted by Drake744

Other than occasional East LA, which I wasn't in often, I wouldn't have called where I would be a "ghetto", but it was mainly kinda in the Mid City/Koreatown (sort of)/Rampart area. Areas of 3rd Street, Crenshaw, Beverly, Vermont etc west of downtown. I didn't live there but things would take me around there, mainly at night. Not desirable by any means for the most part. I'd walk alone fairly often. Sure it is worse in some areas but I wouldn't be there if I had (much of) a choice.

Nashville areas I wouldn't go through in that situation are Murfreesboro Road southeast of downtown, 8th Ave South/near Greer Stadium, really anywhere in north Nashville along Dickerson Pike in that area between LP Field and Briley Parkway. Lebanon Pike between Spence Lane and downtown can get a little seedy as well. In my very limited experience there, I'd put Bordeaux on that list also.

Ummm... you missed the point I was saying earlier... If you are not involved in drug activity or gang activity, you pretty much have nothing to worry about most of the time... Particuarly in African American, inner city areas, and some of the ones mention above, those people who may appear to be thugs, or rough, or what ever you call it, are not really worried the least bit about you at all, you are no threat to them. Its silly to me when people say they are afraid to go in some areas because of how they appear to be, particuarly white people in black areas... Now where the worry would come in is if you are a known member of a rivial gang, going in to the area to cause trouble, or if you are are part of a drug deal, which can happen in any area of town. So unless you are looking for trouble in these areas you will not have trouble. Now, I mentioned areas like Murfreesboro, Franklin, and Hendersonville, and we can even add newer developed areas of Downtown to that list as well, being area where random crimes may occur more because people, or I should say the suspects, know that people don't have their guards up, or are not expecting such actions to take place in areas such as these, and it is easy prey... the least expected may happen...

[Antioch]

To add to the above, in most of these inner-city areas, or more ethnically diverse areas, particuarly African American communities, there are churches on every corner, and long time residents living in these communities, and lots of culture, and from the culture, everybody tends to know what is going on about everything and you are more than likely to have people watching your back in these areas... That's if you are not there to cause trouble.

[Beat02]

Originally Posted by nashvols

Things are being done...but the simple fact is that some people choose to live a life of crime. A lot of crime is drug and gang related. Avoid that world, and you dramatically reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

This.

You won't see a lot of shootings around Nashville with a "true victim" as they call it. That may sound cold or cynical, but there is much truth to it.

[N.Cal]

Originally Posted by Antioch

To add to the above, in most of these inner-city areas, or more ethnically diverse areas, particuarly African American communities, there are churches on every corner, and long time residents living in these communities, and lots of culture, and from the culture, everybody tends to know what is going on about everything and you are more than likely to have people watching your back in these areas... That's if you are not there to cause trouble.

Ha! So true. In my immediate neighborhood I have nine (yes, 9) churches. And especially in nicer weather, the old men are sitting out on the porch keeping an eye on the neighborhood.

[Antioch]

Originally Posted by N.Cal

Ha! So true. In my immediate neighborhood I have nine (yes, 9) churches. And especially in nicer weather, the old men are sitting out on the porch keeping an eye on the neighborhood.

Yes, its just a sterotype that inner-city black neighborhoods,or even some Hispanic neighborhoods are so dangerous... Most African Americans, around here at least, don't even think like that, commiting random crimes against strangers... but again, like I've said, if you are up to no good you will get no good in those areas when you are dealing with the no good... Otherwise, you are going to be well protected and taken care of in these communties that look so scarry.... the thugs and gangs really aren't worried about anybody... You are not their enemy... Now its these crazy school and mall shooters in nice suburban house that you have to worry about...

[nashvols]

I'd also like to add this bit:

From January 1st-June 30th, there were 19 homicides in Nashville. In 2012, there were 27 during that time frame. That year ended with 62.

From July 1st-present, CrimeMapping lists 16 homicides in Nashville. Of course, that number may not be completely accurate (sometimes a victim dies of their injuries at a later time, or it could take a while to determine whether to charge a person with murder)...but if that number is anywhere close to true (it would give us 35 homicides year-to-date), we're on pace for about 39 murders this year. In 2011, we had 51, which was the lowest tally since 1966. This would be the lowest total since Nashville became Metro in 1963. Total...not rate. Mind you, in the early 1960s, Davidson County had only about 400,000 residents. Today it has around 650,000. The murder rate today is the lowest it has ever been.


Back to shootings. Of course shootings =/= murders, and there are a variety of reasons the murder rate has gone down (nationwide)...but one thing is certainly true: Nashville today is not the Nashville of the 80s and 90s.

[yank283]

Originally Posted by Antioch

Yes, its just a sterotype that inner-city black neighborhoods,or even some Hispanic neighborhoods are so dangerous... Most African Americans, around here at least, don't even think like that, commiting random crimes against strangers... but again, like I've said, if you are up to no good you will get no good in those areas when you are dealing with the no good... Otherwise, you are going to be well protected and taken care of in these communties that look so scarry.... the thugs and gangs really aren't worried about anybody... You are not their enemy... Now its these crazy school and mall shooters in nice suburban house that you have to worry about...

Completely agree with this. I think there is a phenomenon that has been around for a while but has really ratcheted up since the information age has been in full swing - where people get all their information and opinions about cities/areas solely through interaction with internet news sites (one I read recently was an argument between two acquaintances and a bullet "grazed" one of them - What other city news sites would even report this?). It used to be a 10 o'clock news and newspapers thing. To those I say, there are a lot of other things going on in these communities, people helping people, going on with their lives and watching out for each other. If your best bud isn't an ex-felon and you’re not dealing drugs, chances are you'll be fine. Incidents do happen, but they can happen ANYWHERE. While being aware of your surroundings is a good idea, living in constant fear of your surroundings is no way to go through life.

[yank283]

Originally Posted by nashvols

I'd also like to add this bit:

From January 1st-June 30th, there were 19 homicides in Nashville. In 2012, there were 27 during that time frame. That year ended with 62.

From July 1st-present, CrimeMapping lists 16 homicides in Nashville. Of course, that number may not be completely accurate (sometimes a victim dies of their injuries at a later time, or it could take a while to determine whether to charge a person with murder)...but if that number is anywhere close to true (it would give us 35 homicides year-to-date), we're on pace for about 39 murders this year. In 2011, we had 51, which was the lowest tally since 1966. This would be the lowest total since Nashville became Metro in 1963. Total...not rate. Mind you, in the early 1960s, Davidson County had only about 400,000 residents. Today it has around 650,000. The murder rate today is the lowest it has ever been.


Back to shootings. Of course shootings =/= murders, and there are a variety of reasons the murder rate has gone down (nationwide)...but one thing is certainly true: Nashville today is not the Nashville of the 80s and 90s.

Yep, I have seen those "Cops" episodes...