Is crime in Springfield really worse then New York, Denver and Seattle. (Branson: 2013, rental)

[LordHomunculus]

I was researching a few cities in Missouri and Springfield does seem like one of the poorer/working class ones. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot of crime for a city its size.

[littlemonkeys]

Originally Posted by LordHomunculus

I was researching a few cities in Missouri and Springfield does seem like one of the poorer/working class ones. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot of crime for a city its size.

It makes sense that Springfield is a poorer town, but the crime rates just don't seem to match up with what you see in person. Especially because the website I was looking at recently (Area Vibes) had Springfield as being high on VIOLENT crime, not just property theft or something like that.

My only guess is maybe we have an extremely high domestic violence rate? One that would make the overall violence level higher than even Chicago or Washington D.C (I compared those cities on Area Vibes and Springfield came up as "more dangerous")?

If the actual violence rate was that high I think I'd be scared to live here and walk outside my house, but I've never given it a second thought. I have only ever seen like one fist fight since I moved here in 2002, and I used to live on the North side of town and then on the West, which are supposed to be the worst areas.

If it were domestic violence making Springfield so bad, then I supposed we'd have to ask why THAT is, or why it would be worse here than in other cities. I don't know. It's really puzzling.

[LordHomunculus]

Originally Posted by littlemonkeys

It makes sense that Springfield is a poorer town, but the crime rates just don't seem to match up with what you see in person. Especially because the website I was looking at recently (Area Vibes) had Springfield as being high on VIOLENT crime, not just property theft or something like that.

My only guess is maybe we have an extremely high domestic violence rate? One that would make the overall violence level higher than even Chicago or Washington D.C (I compared those cities on Area Vibes and Springfield came up as "more dangerous")?

If the actual violence rate was that high I think I'd be scared to live here and walk outside my house, but I've never given it a second thought. I have only ever seen like one fist fight since I moved here in 2002, and I used to live on the North side of town and then on the West, which are supposed to be the worst areas.

If it were domestic violence making Springfield so bad, then I supposed we'd have to ask why THAT is, or why it would be worse here than in other cities. I don't know. It's really puzzling.

That Area Vibes website is including property crimes. But the violent crime rate in Chicago and DC is higher than Springfield. Either way, Springfield still seems to have a high violent crime rate (816 per 100,000k) and I also get the same thing from the 2011 FBI report. It could be different for 2012. The murder rate is low, but murder is also the least random and least common of violent crimes. Forcible rapes seem to be pretty high though. I guess if you're a drug dealer, you shouldn't be worried about getting murdered. But if you're an attractive young woman, you better keep an eye out

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by LordHomunculus

I was researching a few cities in Missouri and Springfield does seem like one of the poorer/working class ones. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot of crime for a city its size.

Oh my goodness! Well, wages are rather low here in the Ozarks compared to more urban areas. And yes, people here really DO work for a living.

A common truth seems to be that cities have higher crime rates than rural areas. Must be something in the water or the fact that they consist of a relatively small space in which a whole bunch of people are packed together. I guess rubbing elbows day-and-night can cause friction after all.

Springfield has about 160K residents so it is a very small city in the overall scheme of things. "Homunculus" in Latin meaning "little man," you ought to fit right in!

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by LordHomunculus

I was researching a few cities in Missouri and Springfield does seem like one of the poorer/working class ones. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot of crime for a city its size.

What cities aren't largely poor and working class?

[Okie7597]

Originally Posted by wlw2009

Clearly none of you have ever been on the "north side of town" (aka, anything above Sunshine street)...it is pretty bad. I would know, I was born and raised there. It absolutely sucks.

I have to raise the bull&%#@ flag on this one. I was born and raised there myself, and know for a fact that you are full of &!%*. I have spent the last few decades living all over the country and traveling the world, but when I do come home to Springfield I feel perfectly safe anywhere on the northside.

[MOKAN]

^Yeah, certain people's desire to make out north Springfield to be some sort of horrible ghetto is pretty odd and kind of naïve. Although, views of any particular area can be very subjective and some may associate everything that was/is wrong in their life with geography.

[LordHomunculus]

Originally Posted by MOKAN

What cities aren't largely poor and working class?

Ummm...I guess we can start with Seattle? Do I really need to give a whole list of cities that aren't largely lower income? I'm not saying that all cities don't lack poor people. But some places on a whole are more working-class and poorer than others. For example, why would I say that a place like Weston, FL is largely poor and working-class like Flint, MI?

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by LordHomunculus

Ummm...I guess we can start with Seattle? Do I really need to give a whole list of cities that aren't largely lower income? I'm not saying that all cities don't lack poor people. But some places on a whole are more working-class and poorer than others. For example, why would I say that a place like Weston, FL is largely poor and working-class like Flint, MI?

Most core/anchor cities are largely working class and poor. Most have crime. Springfield isn't much different. Although, Springfield is one anchor city I can't think of anywhere at all I would feel unsafe.

[bungeebrain]

I left simply because Verizon bought out my job and there really were no good paying jobs there. I thought the drivers were the worst I had ever encountered otherwise I was ok with it. I can't think of anyplace in that town that was dangerous.