St. Louis: Most Dangerous City in the Nation (University City, Maplewood: school, university)

[collected_eve]

Originally Posted by Check123

Missouri should be renamed Methouri.

EXTREMELY unfair to say.
Missouri is known for it's high number of meth labs/incidents.
2006 alone had nearly 1,300 incidents, though only 41.8 kgs. of methamphetamine recovered.
Lets look at other states.
In 2006 Arizona only had 41 meth lab incidents, BUT recovered over 669 kgs. of meth. HUGE number.
Oregon, again in '06 had 55 meth lab incidents & recovered 46 kgs. of meth.
"Methsouri" = unfair compared with the rest of the U.S.
Information obtained from the Official DEA website.

[Wasabe]

Originally Posted by fmoreau

I COULD AGREE NOT MORE WITH YOU. I AM FROM FLOIDA AND IS BY FAR THE 7 MOST DANGEROUS STATE WHERE STATE OF MISSOURI RANKS 20th.
THE FUNNY THING IS THE AVERAGE PERSON TAKES THOSE STATISTICS VERY SERIOUSLY. CRIME IS EVERYWHERE. NO ONE CITY IS IMMUNE FROM IT.

Benjamin Disraeli, the British Prime Minister, once said "There are three kinds of lies: (1) Lies, (2) d--n Lies, and (3) Statistics." You can make numbers say just about anything you want. I know St. Louis and I don't believe that it is any more dangerous than Chicago or the District of Columbia (two other places I am currently living, have lived).

I would also not be surprised at all if municipalities fudge their figures shamelessly to avoid being the "winner" with the worst crime rate. After all, the only crime we know about is "reported" crime. Want to lower the crime rate in your fair city? Just don't report half of it. Easy!

[anr_black]

I would also not be surprised at all if municipalities fudge their figures shamelessly to avoid being the "winner" with the worst crime rate. After all, the only crime we know about is "reported" crime. Want to lower the crime rate in your fair city? Just don't report half of it. Easy![/quote]

Honestly, there's something to that. We have such an involved police force here, local politicians and neighbors (call it "nosy" or "cranky" if you want ) that probably every little crime gets reported. I live in the city and the two times my car was broken into, I called the cops and reported it. You know why? Because they'll come to my house and take my statement. They'll tell me what's going on in my neighborhood and if enough of the same type of crime (or description) pops up, they'll up patrols on my street. And eventually, the criminal may get caught. This has happened many times just since I've lived here.

When I lived in Chicago my car was broken into lots of times. I only called the cops once. You know why? No one ever showed up. Oh, and my neighbor laughed at us for even reporting it.

[aragx6]

That Chicago thing is SO true! I had a friend whose car was broken into and I was shocked that she didn't call the police. She'd been there for a few years already and knew it wouldn't do a damn bit of good, and that she'd either be ignored or grumped at by the cops for even bothering.

[goat314]

Why is it so hard to believe the city of St. Louis is a dangerous place. Now I personally love St. Louis, but it would be very ignorant to say the city doesnt have a lot of social issues. Its generally ranked as one of the poorest cities in the United States and if youve been around like I have St. Louis has some of the worst ghettos in America hands down. People say Detroit and DC is bad, but St. Louis is right up there with them. St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cleveland, DC, Oakland, and large parts of Chicago are hands down the most dangerous cities in America. They are all the most dangerous city at any given time and I wouldnt take any of them lightly.

[aragx6]

I'm not sure anyone here ever argued that St. Louis is perfect, filled with roses and unicorns and that nothing bad ever happens there. But you pretty much named the majority of the major cities in the US. I have been to most of those cities (Detroit, Philly, DC, Cleveland Chicago and of course St. Louis) and they all have a lot to offer and have many nice areas (Detroit would have to be the one with the least redeeming features imo) as well as many areas I wouldn't like to be. The same goes for many cities you didn't list such as New York, San Diego and Seattle.

Every city has poverty, poverty breeds discontent, and discontent fosters crime. Can you name a city without this? Really?

[goat314]

Originally Posted by aragx6

I'm not sure anyone here ever argued that St. Louis is perfect, filled with roses and unicorns and that nothing bad ever happens there. But you pretty much named the majority of the major cities in the US. I have been to most of those cities (Detroit, Philly, DC, Cleveland Chicago and of course St. Louis) and they all have a lot to offer and have many nice areas (Detroit would have to be the one with the least redeeming features imo) as well as many areas I wouldn't like to be. The same goes for many cities you didn't list such as New York, San Diego and Seattle.

Every city has poverty, poverty breeds discontent, and discontent fosters crime. Can you name a city without this? Really?

well i only mentioned 8 cities, thats not even half the metros in America of over 1 million people or more. I was just stating that these cities have unusually high poverty and crime rates compared to other cities, specifically the sunbelt cities. I dont really think you can compare St. Louis to Tampa, Philly to Phoenix, Baltimore to Seattle, etc etc they are two different animals. Obviously any sizeable region has a share of poverty, but "ghetto" is an entirely different situation. I have never seen any ghettos in Orlando or slums in Portland. I wasnt trying to offend anyone and obviously all these cities have infinite potential, but you its a totally messed up situation.

[aragx6]

If you haven't seen "ghettos" in Orlando then you must never have left Disney World. 15% of the city's residents live in poverty. The economy is really rotten in Florida. Other cities you mentioned: 17.8 in Portland, 16.4 in Phoenix, 18.3 in Tampa.

St. Louis is higher at 25%, 24.5 in Philadelphia, 22.6 in Baltimore - but to say that there are no slums in those "sunbelt" cities you seem to love so much, really shows how little you've traveled through these cities.

[jojojohnson76]

Wow goat314, I thought members of UrbanSTL were typically bigger cheerleaders of the city and less of a nay sayer. Your posts are ridiculous, and insulting. You love the city that you obviously fear? Give me a break, please.

I go in to the city often and I have never felt that I am in danger. Where do you live? North St Louis? Though your attitude makes me want to put you more in the 636 area code.

[goat314]

Originally Posted by aragx6

If you haven't seen "ghettos" in Orlando then you must never have left Disney World. 15% of the city's residents live in poverty. The economy is really rotten in Florida. Other cities you mentioned: 17.8 in Portland, 16.4 in Phoenix, 18.3 in Tampa.

St. Louis is higher at 25%, 24.5 in Philadelphia, 22.6 in Baltimore - but to say that there are no slums in those "sunbelt" cities you seem to love so much, really shows how little you've traveled through these cities.

I currently live in the Tampa Bay area and go to school at FSU in Tallahassee. Have numerous friends in Orange County, Dade County, Broward, and Palm (shows how much you know). What they consider the ghetto is not near as bad as what St. Louis is. I took one of my friends from my Miami (the so called hood capital down here) to North St. Louis and he almost had a heart attack. I know what I'm talking about.