Durham crime (Raleigh, Greensboro, Cary: high crime, how much, university)

[saturnfan]

Durham and NOLA shared one thing - constant news counting the year-to-date murder count.

It's a rare week, the N&O isn't telling of multiple murders in Durham. Yes, this gives the city a very bad impression.

If the new police chief can clean up the blighted area, that may change for the better. The courts also need to be more stringent in sentencing and not giving career felons probation.

[MrsSteel]

Saturnfan, you're still blowing things out of proportion. In 2005 there were 35 murders in Durham and in 2006, there were 15 murders in Durham. There are not multiple murders a week in Durham as you are trying to imply. If so, those numbers would be closer to 100 murders per year. It's simple mathematics.

It may be true that Durham is the most dangerous town in the Triangle, but even so it still is not a dangerous town in which to live. There are a few small bad areas, but the majority of the town is very safe & family-friendly.

Here's a PDF document of Durham's 2006 crime report.
http://www.durhampolice.com/news/pdf/070305_1.pdf

[saturnfan]

The first paragraph in the report you provided seems to tell it all. Fewer property crimes, but more violent crimes against citizens 2005 vs 2006.

I read the crime reports in the N&O daily and it certainly seems that the more atrocious stuff seems to take place in Durham. The situation with the DATA buses really was a blemish on Durham.

A really "zero tolerance" policy on gangs, drugs, and weapons in the bad part of town would do much for the Bull City's image.

[danadana]

Originally Posted by scorp200

When I leave my Durham apartment each morning I am certain to wear chain mail for women, and then I get into my armored hyundai, carefully make my way past the hordes of Duke grad students, drive in a zig zag on MLK to avoid stray bullets emanating from the subdivisions on either side, and finally enter RTP - quickly running from my car to the office to avoid the gangs that hang out there waiting to induct researchers and techs (after all, most of RTP is in Durham).

Every day I breathe a sigh of relief that I've lived another day.

You had me rolling! My partner always comments on how tame Durham is compared to DC. I think people will just have to visit their Durham friends to figure out how tame and suburban Durham can be. I live off of Stadium Drive and Duke Street. I enjoy the same things as my Raleigh and Cary posters. A quiet evening sitting on the porch looking at the stars. Now the only crime I want to report is my neighbor letting his dog use my yard as his bathroom!

[Teach07]

Originally Posted by scorp200

When I leave my Durham apartment each morning I am certain to wear chain mail for women, and then I get into my armored hyundai, carefully make my way past the hordes of Duke grad students, drive in a zig zag on MLK to avoid stray bullets emanating from the subdivisions on either side, and finally enter RTP - quickly running from my car to the office to avoid the gangs that hang out there waiting to induct researchers and techs (after all, most of RTP is in Durham).

Every day I breathe a sigh of relief that I've lived another day.

Hilarious!!!!

[Teach07]

Look up Indianapolis crime stats...I laugh at Durham!

[mfrank2109]

The media plays a huge part in the way Durham is perceived - rightly or wrongly. When you see in the news or read in the paper some kid standing on his front porch or on the corner getting shot - it leaves an impression. And granted Durham may not have the crime rate of Atlanta, Detroit, Philly, etc it is a part of the Triangle so it is compared to other Triangle cities. If Durham didn't exist and the Triangle was comprised of Raleigh-Cary-Chapel Hill, then Raleigh would be the high crime area everyone would be dissing. I have also been to a Durham City Council Meeting and although it was a number of years ago it was so racially polarized that I swore I would never go to another. Some people enjoy and thrive at those type of meetings, I don't.

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by wtd7575

Coming from the North, I have to say that I am amused and confused by the crime perception in Durham. While no doubt, any murder or any crime for that matter is concerning and regrettable, I have to go out on a limb and say that Durham is downright and laughably safe compared to almost any major city and metro. Have the people who promote this fallacy ever been to Detroit, Philly, Cleveland, or for that matter Atlanta? Big city crime and with a rightful reputation. Case in point: The Bethesda area of Durham near Brightleaf. I am constantly hearing that this area is crime ridden, yet I have no fear of driving in it, or would hesitate in the least in buying at Brightleaf. Crime perceptions are way over blown in Durham and thankfully the crime stats back that up. Any comments are welcome.

Why are you comparing Durham which is a very little city to some of the biggest cities in the US?

[bullcityculture]

To me Durham's biggest problem is not really Durham itself. Durham's biggest problem is the surrounding areas. The rest of the cities in the Triangle are constantly bashing Durham. And it definitely doesn't help that most of the media covering the Triangle is located in one city (how ironic Durham has such a bad image problem). I have always said for Durham to be such a horrible place to live, at least for those that live in the Triangle, it still gets ranked well with other cities in the US, it is still growing steadly, and natives and transplants love the place. Durham is a city that has alot most of the other Triangle cities and towns don't: GRIT (take it the way you want too), 2 major universities (one continuously ranked in the top 10), one the best economies in NC and the list goes on. It is funny to me because if any other city in the Triangle had the same reputation as Durham they wouldn't, NO they couldn't even be half as resilent and continue to prosper like Durham. So Durham biggest problem isn't Durham itself, its the surrounding area. (Pretty said to say since it seems as if everyone thinks that the Triangle should just operate as a single unit. It will probably NEVER happen. Durham "The Cultural Capital of the Triangle".

[wtd7575]

is that the media would have you believe that Durham has "big city" crime stats which it clearly does not.