How much crime is there in Spokane? (Liberty Lake, Davenport: for sale, crime rate)

[Sandman990]

I currently live in beautiful Loveland, CO and am considering a job offer in Spokane. However, I am quite concerned about the crime rate there. Some friends of mine visited Spokane recently and said it was like a mini- LA. Their car got broken into while parked on the street near a very nice downtown hotel. (I think they said the Davenport?) When they contacted the police dept, they referred them to an outside crime report agency who told them that break-ins are very common in Spokane. Not only that, they were told the downtown area and the river trail were unsafe because people get murdered there. According to them it looked very dirty, depressed and rundown. Housing looks really affordable according to some realtor sites that I've looked at. But is that just indicative of a very depressed economy there?

[rainforest338]

I remember reading either early this year or late last, that Spokane decided to cut or all out eliminate the property crimes division of their police department. It was supposedly based on economics and needing to free up officers from all the property crime to deal with violent/personal crime. I think calling it a mini-LA might be a stretch, but it does have bad days (MLK day bombing attempt and as I am typing word is two deputies were shot).

[Yeledaf]

Crime, scrime. The only thing regularly killed in Spokane is hope.

Eight months of winter will do that to you.

[OGTSO]

I don't find the crime bad here, but I live way North of town in the Wandermere area. I also previously lived in Orange County, California which has very high crime areas despite what the TV show The OC showed people. The crime in Orange County, California cities like Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Stanton, and Westminster is much higher than anywhere in Spokane with similar populations.

[David Aguilar]

Spokane is no Los Angeles (or Loveland), more like a older, Colorado Springs-sized, down on its luck Fort Collins with a much bigger downtown.

Sure, they say Spokane's crime is high, but I didn't feel or see much evidence of it, and I lived less than a mile from downtown, and walking distance from the river.

However, if what they say is true, Spokane/environs have plenty of places to insulate yourself from the "madness" (the far north side, Mead, Liberty Lake, Idaho, etc).

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

Spokane is no Los Angeles (or Loveland), more like a older, Colorado Springs-sized, down on its luck Fort Collins with a much bigger downtown.

Sure, they say Spokane's crime is high, but I didn't feel or see much evidence of it, and I lived less than a mile from downtown, and walking distance from the river.

However, if what they say is true, Spokane/environs have plenty of places to insulate yourself from the "madness" (the far north side, Mead, Liberty Lake, Idaho, etc).

Not to mention Starbucks with an ice-cold frappucino and your iPod loaded with Dexter Gordon:


Tanya - Dexter Gordon - YouTube

[aplcr0331]

Originally Posted by Yeledaf

Crime, scrime. The only thing regularly killed in Spokane is hope.

Eight months of winter will do that to you.

Don't forget dreams. Dreams are dashed here as well. They die in the dirty grey CO2 infested snowbanks.

[Sandman990]

Okay, so what I have been finding out through my research, is that Spokane has a huge underclass. It has a 30% high school drop out rate, which could explain why people have told me that it is the welfare capital of Washington State. There are over 1,100 residential homes for sale under $150,000 according to realtor.com. Compared to other cities of its size, that is excessive inventory. Boise, for example, has only 327 homes available under $150,000. Reno 559. I think low housing prices are a good indicator of a very depressed economy, which leads to rampant of crime. Moderator cut: see note

It seems that Spokane is also controlled by a very conservative ruling class that votes down any measures to hire more police or to repair its streets that are falling apart. I've been following the local news there and it looks worse than Denver. Just this last week, 2 policeman were shot. Think I will reconsider this potential move.

[nwprof65]

Sad to find this:

Assaults on officers up significantly in Spokane | KREM.com Spokane

As drug use increases, especially meth and the Mexican gangs and drug cartels, the whole country is becoming more dangerous.

There are areas of the country that have the potential to "tip". Nevada County, California is one example.

[aplcr0331]

Originally Posted by Sandman990

Okay, so what I have been finding out through my research, is that Spokane has a huge underclass. It has a 30% high school drop out rate, which could explain why people have told me that it is the welfare capital of Washington State. There are over 1,100 residential homes for sale under $150,000 according to realtor.com. Compared to other cities of its size, that is excessive inventory. Boise, for example, has only 327 homes available under $150,000. Reno 559. I think low housing prices are a good indicator of a very depressed economy, which leads to rampant of crime. Moderator cut: see note

It seems that Spokane is also controlled by a very conservative ruling class that votes down any measures to hire more police or to repair its streets that are falling apart. I've been following the local news there and it looks worse than Denver. Just this last week, 2 policeman were shot. Think I will reconsider this potential move.

I'd stay away from the underclass too. They are dirty, not very well educated, tend to be criminals, and vote Republican. Boise sounds like a better bet for you, more expensive homes allows you to feel a little better about your neighbors and the area you live in. Plus, you can avoid all those underclass Republicans with their dirty little criminal children who drag down graduation rates and SAT scores.

The roads in Spokane do suck that is for sure. If you've read the local papers you'd know that all our Polic Officers hate the mentally hadicapped and routinely torture and kill them at will. They forget constitutional rights and target, unfairly I might add, people who like God's plants. Most Spokanites, if you read the Inlander, would not want more police at all. Damn conservatives.