Parramore area turning around? Also other downturns in crime... (Orlando: real estate, living)

[Pete C]

Saw this in the Sentinel today. Wow, good news for once. I expect the new Magic arena also to help that area, as the Staples Center did in LA.

In Parramore, kids playing replace drug dealers and hookers - OrlandoSentinel.com

Pine Hills crime is down due to measures taken by new Sheriff Demings:

Pine Hills making strides against crime - OrlandoSentinel.com

Also, look at the murder rate so far in 2009, 34 this year and it is almost August, compared to 123 in 2008. On pace to cut last year's total in half:

Orlando-Area Murder Map 2009 - OrlandoSentinel.com

[idr591]

That does seem like good news; especially the murder rate for 2009. Thanks for posting.

[annerk]

It all seems to be moving to the Millennia area, unfortunately.

Frankly with it's close proximatey to the arena and downtown nightlife as well as cheap real estate, Parramore is primed to become regentrified over the next decade. Unfortunately this could end up causing rents to skyrocket, making it unaffordable to many of it's current residents.

[blueoktober]

No murders in a year is fantastic...and I saw an article in the Orlando Sentinel recently that said the rest of crime was down 50% total. I agree about the rents though - as soon as it is gentrified you can bet it will become $$$$ and keep people out that would help make the city more fun and diverse.

[Practice]

Finally some good news!

[Silent1900]

Outside of the murder rate (kinda hard to fake that one), I do not trust ANY published crime statistics. They can say whatever officials want them to say. I put greater weight on what myself and others observe during the course of our daily lives. And if the residents of Parramore are saying that they see and feel actual improvement, then that is probably a good sign for that area.

However, I find it hard to believe that any meaningful decrease in crime can be accomplished just through police tactics. I mean, do we really think that the people who were committing crimes have now decided to wake up in the morning and get jobs? Even if the jobs were available, which they aren't, the thought of working for a living is completely foreign to the criminal mind. It's not like they are all in jail/prison, as those institutions have been operating at capacity for quite a while now...you put one in, another one has to pop out somewhere else. Did the criminal's union take a vote and decide to relocate to another city? Not likely either. Any meaningful change in crime will have to come through massive political change.


P.S. - For a great look (of course highly dramatized) at the ways and reasons that crime statistics can be manipulated, check out the five seasons of "The Wire", which was produced by HBO. In my opinion, and that of a lot of critics, it is the best show television has ever produced. Great stuff.