Oakland, Richmond named among the most dangerous cities (wealthiest, area)

[bayarea-girl]

Ultrarunner, yes I would agree with you about that. But even people who consider themselves hard core Oaklanders (know people who are born and raised in Oakland for over 50 years) have moved out of the area due to their reality. But you make a good point.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

Ultrarunner, yes I would agree with you about that. But even people who consider themselves hard core Oaklanders (know people who are born and raised in Oakland for over 50 years) have moved out of the area due to their reality. But you make a good point.

There is still a few of us left

Yes, it's true... I've been here long enough to see neighborhoods change from White to African American to Asian and most recently Hispanic...

Now the biggest change is the number of foreclosures leaving homes with no one living there.

[StPete2Charlotte]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

Maybe the "youngsters" needed to see the man put to death and found accountable for his actions. Maybe that showed them the realities for the crimes they plan to commit ?

Notice, California has only executed 14 people since 1976 and has the worst gang problem and murder problem in the U.S. Maybe criminals, murderers, gang bangers, ect, ect just don't care because they know their chances of being paroled are greater than their chances of getting the gas chamber ?

Most criminals could care less about policies.
It's all about the paper. Bottom line. There will always be crime in America as long as there are concentrations of poor people who come from broken families living clumped together in run down sections of there city where there is no legitimate work.
In the hood its much easier to pay rent and feed your child sometimes by robbing someone or selling crack than it is job hunting, especially now that the economy has gone to crap.

Most criminals know the law, as in how to get bail, what lawyers to network with, baisic stuff. Criminals know much more about the Police than the law system. IE where they patrol, when they patrol, what undercovers look and act like, and theres alot of unwritten codes that you must follow if you want to be any type of criminal, and it differs from crime to crime.
Someone who steals cars for a living is not going to have the same skill set and knowledge of the police and law as someone who sells crack. Just like if you worked are a manager at a grocery store your skill set would be different than one at Taco Bell.

Liberals or Conservatives will never take away crime, cause there will always be 17 year old men who have never met there father, have no family or support system, no diploma, who live in the projects, can't pay for there electricity, have a baby on the way and the closest job ops to where they live are overwhelmed with applicants for a job that doesn't even pay enough to eat sufficiently.
In the ghetto its survival of the fittest. The weak become crackheads and prostitutes, and the strong become dealers and pimps, than theres a minority that somehow finds a way to escape, however unfortunatly there endangering themselves more by trying to become something with there life than the man on the corner. If someone jelous of a kid whose going places runs up on him and shoots, the good citizen can't do nothing to stop it. The crack dealer will shoot back... Armed robbers know that. Thats why only the hardest criminals with the biggest guns and best bulletproof vests even rob dealers and pimps, cause there strapped too.

[StPete2Charlotte]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

Maybe the "youngsters" needed to see the man put to death and found accountable for his actions. Maybe that showed them the realities for the crimes they plan to commit ?

Notice, California has only executed 14 people since 1976 and has the worst gang problem and murder problem in the U.S. Maybe criminals, murderers, gang bangers, ect, ect just don't care because they know their chances of being paroled are greater than their chances of getting the gas chamber ?

They know the realities of what can happen, they just don't care.
Many of those youngsters have fathers doing life prison, and I bet every single one knows at least one person currently locked up.
I myself have too many damn friends in prison, and some family members.
Get Rich or Die Tryin' isn't just an album by a Rapper. It's a lifestyle that millions of people from my generation from the ghetto live by. It's difficult for someone on the outside looking in to understand, because chances are they haven't spent there entire life being treated like less than a human by the rest of society. Alot of these kids simply just want a better life. And 18 year old from East Oakland has probably seen his entire life nothing but in his face advertising non stop about how life can be better for him and how he can escape the messed up situation that is his life story up to this point if he participates in criminal activity. That same kid probably knows not one person who has ever went to college and has never been told the great jobs that are out there.
I have many friends in there 20s now who were never told they could be a lawyer or go to college. Most of them were told there entire lives only rich people went to college, the others just assumed it, cause no one they knew ever did. However they all have friends that live in the suburbs now and drive escalades because they were successful coke dealers in the past.
Reality thru there eyes looks like this.
Live Legal = Guaranteed poverty, no possibility for success
Live Illegal = small Possibility for success, no poverty, high possibilty of prison, death, etc, but its worth the risk.
Just try to imagine what its like coming from the other side of the tracks for a minute before you say such harsh things about people that have been forced from birth to live such harsh lives.

[Taboo2]

Here is the REAL question.

WHERE are these parents of these teen criminals and why aren't they ACTING like parents? Father's who take their sons out to commit crimes with them? That happened recently in the Bay. Mothers who give their children bad advice and are well aware they are committing crimes and are OK WITH IT? Mothers USING their children to steal by hiding stuff in the stroller? REAL NICE Examples.

I may not be Mother Theresa, but I know once I had kids, I sure changed my chaotic dysfunctional lifestyle I had as a youth, and my way of thinking, and am setting an excellent example for my children because they learn by example.

It is the role of the parent, not the city, to manage and raise a child. The parents showing and telling their children it is ok to commit crimes EVEN if you have a lack of money is such a poor example and that is where the fault lies.
There needs to be more resources for these people - BUT if the parents are ganking the gov't and teaching the kid how to, then why would the kid grow up a good law abiding citizen?

I know, i've seen these parents being ok with the kids in gangs, or them doing burglaries or stealing cars. This is a HUGE part of the problem, parental education is lacking and resources for those who ARE trying are lacking.

We need more mentors (and i don't mean the dealer on the corner) to mentor these innercity teens and show them they can succeed and that violence and criminal activity is not the answer they are looking for.

Criminals are not BORN they are RAISED.

Originally Posted by StPete2Charlotte

They know the realities of what can happen, they just don't care.
Many of those youngsters have fathers doing life prison, and I bet every single one knows at least one person currently locked up.
I myself have too many damn friends in prison, and some family members.
Get Rich or Die Tryin' isn't just an album by a Rapper. It's a lifestyle that millions of people from my generation from the ghetto live by. It's difficult for someone on the outside looking in to understand, because chances are they haven't spent there entire life being treated like less than a human by the rest of society. Alot of these kids simply just want a better life. And 18 year old from East Oakland has probably seen his entire life nothing but in his face advertising non stop about how life can be better for him and how he can escape the messed up situation that is his life story up to this point if he participates in criminal activity. That same kid probably knows not one person who has ever went to college and has never been told the great jobs that are out there.
I have many friends in there 20s now who were never told they could be a lawyer or go to college. Most of them were told there entire lives only rich people went to college, the others just assumed it, cause no one they knew ever did. However they all have friends that live in the suburbs now and drive escalades because they were successful coke dealers in the past.
Reality thru there eyes looks like this.
Live Legal = Guaranteed poverty, no possibility for success
Live Illegal = small Possibility for success, no poverty, high possibilty of prison, death, etc, but its worth the risk.
Just try to imagine what its like coming from the other side of the tracks for a minute before you say such harsh things about people that have been forced from birth to live such harsh lives.

[Lulu101]

especially now that people are rioting like crazy there.

[rah]

Originally Posted by Lulu101

especially now that people are rioting like crazy there.

People aren't rioting like crazy. There was one protest a week ago, that resulted in a smaller group breaking off and causing a bunch of vandalism and not much more. There was another protest the other day, and it was the same deal, only to a much smaller extent.

[Taboo2]

Originally Posted by Lulu101

especially now that people are rioting like crazy there.

Yeah and WHY IS all the rioting going on there?

The guy killed wasn't from Oakland.
The Cop isn't from Oakland.
The train was going from SF --> Dublin/Pleasanton -Getting pulled of the train in Oakland was pure happenstance.
The police were not Oakland Police, they were BART police.
The protesters arrested are mostly NOT from Oakland.


So why is Oakland the place to riot?

[tylersf]

Having lived or worked in both cities, people don't hear about the good parts of each city. In addition, I shopped for a home for 1 year in the East Bay and ended up on a hill in Richmond. Let's discuss both cities...

Oakland's biggest secret (I just let it out) - there are more nice areas than there are bad!
Piedmont/Montclair/Rockridge is very trendy, expensive and fun. Drive around those neighborhoods and take in beautiful architecture/homes and restaurants and stores. Other areas Fruitvale/Maxwell Park/Lake Merritt aren't bad either.
Same with Richmond...the only really bad area is west of 23rd Street. In fact, most of Richmond is just fine. Richmond View east of San Pablo is nice. Richmond Annex which is really El Cerrito is good too.
From my house in Richmond, I had a beautiful view of SF Bay where I could see the Golden Gate, the Bay Bridge and the San Francisco skyline.
Don't knock both places until you've gotten to know both cities.

Originally Posted by aswedc

4. Oakland, CA
9. Richmond, CA

The annual list of the most dangerous cities in America is out again and the Bay Area is well represented. A variety of news stories on the study can be found easily enough on Google News.

Any thoughts on why there is such a serious crime problem within close proximity to one of the wealthiest and most educated cities in the world?

[ssmaster]

the crime in oakland is localized to very specific areas.there are lots of nice areas in oakland
-
Piedmont Pines
Median Household Income: $116,633
Merriwood
Median Household Income: $101,545
Claremont
Median Household Income: $115,610
Hiller Highlands
Median Household Income: $133,272
Upper Rockridge
Median Household Income: $97,646
Shepherd Canyon
Median Household Income: $105,767
Crocker Highland
Median Household Income: $106,217
Trestle Glen
Median Household Income: $89,220
Montclair
Median Household Income: $102,426
Oakmore
Median Household Income: $79,410
Glen Highlands
Median Household Income: $101,888
Forestland
Median Household Income: $99,262

for comparison look at
Noe Valley
Median Household Income: $77,479