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Old 04-12-2012, 04:33 PM
 
1,017 posts, read 1,475,766 times
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Quote:
BLUEFIELD — — The high cost of housing prisoners may soon lead to closure of the Bluefield city jail, according to Andy Merriman, Bluefield city manager.

“We’re pretty sure we will be closing it,” Merriman said. “The cost of running the facility is too high. There are so many new requirements that our facility can’t meet without capital improvements.” He confirmed that the facility may be closed by July 1.

“We’re one of the last municipalities in the state of West Virginia that still operates a jail,” Merriman said. “People can actually be sentenced to our jail for a term of up to 30 days. It also gets a lot of use by other law enforcement agencies that use it.”

Merriman said that the city hopes to transform the jail into a holding facility that can hold prisoners from 8-12 hours. “That will be helpful for law enforcement to deal with prisoners who are arrested after the night shift magistrate goes off duty and until a magistrate comes on duty the next day,” he said.

Several law enforcement agencies in Mercer County use the Bluefield jail frequently.
Bluefield mulls jail closure » Local News » Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV
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Old 07-18-2012, 09:39 AM
 
Location: Midwest
43 posts, read 72,729 times
Reputation: 32
So, did they close the jail? (Possibly moving into the area, and want to know more....)

And, if costs are too high to keep it open, just fine the offenders more money, to make their misdemeanors more costly to engage in, and voila.

You have an operating jail that isn't in the red, and a decreased crime rate.

And don't say that "It's not that simple." It is. Crime cannot be made to pay.
Prisons are not 'vacation hotels.'
Criminals are guilty, if tried well.
Repeat offenders are habitual in their evil, stats all over the place make that clear.

The only ones that deny these facts, are those who think all people are 'basically good.'
Sorry, not according to the Big Guy upstairs.

Which opinion is the foundation for all western jurisprudence, from Magna Carta to Blackstone on down...


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Old 07-18-2012, 10:02 AM
 
6,347 posts, read 9,830,615 times
Reputation: 1794
Quote:
Originally Posted by RevDocJohn View Post
So, did they close the jail? (Possibly moving into the area, and want to know more....)

And, if costs are too high to keep it open, just fine the offenders more money, to make their misdemeanors more costly to engage in, and voila.

You have an operating jail that isn't in the red, and a decreased crime rate.

And don't say that "It's not that simple." It is. Crime cannot be made to pay.
Prisons are not 'vacation hotels.'
Criminals are guilty, if tried well.
Repeat offenders are habitual in their evil, stats all over the place make that clear.

The only ones that deny these facts, are those who think all people are 'basically good.'
Sorry, not according to the Big Guy upstairs.

Which opinion is the foundation for all western jurisprudence, from Magna Carta to Blackstone on down...


The US locks up more people than China. Many are non violent and guilty of breaking stupid laws. We need to be closing prisons and changing the law so almost half of our population are not committing crimes for merely living their lives.
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Old 07-18-2012, 10:20 AM
 
Location: Midwest
43 posts, read 72,729 times
Reputation: 32
Default Crime rate high in small town- why?

Investigating Bluefield VA, and Bluefield WVA. We're looking to retire here, and move back to VA.

Looking at crime rate in Bluefield, WVA- it's way too high for a town this size- how come? Why is that?

Also, looking at demographics, for a state that has the largest population of Caucasians in the nation outside of New England ["The 10 Whitest States- In all, 10 states are more than 90 percent white, including the three northern New England states, West Virginia, Iowa, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Kentucky and North Dakota."] -http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93608&page=1#.UAbMUo7WTlc

Why is there such a large percentage of African-Americans in Bluefield, WVA, as compared to Bluefield, VA? Just sayin'.... trying to get a handle on this.

Taken from this very site-

Bluefield, WVA
White alone - 7,667 (73.4%)
Black alone - 2,374 (22.7%)
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Bluefi...#ixzz20zBGAd43

Bluefield, VA
White alone - 4,851 (89.1%)
Black alone - 334 (6.1%)
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Bluefi...#ixzz20zBUmNz3

Yet crime stats appear to be roughly equal. That is, until you look closer- then it gets really confusing.

Crime stats for Bluefield, VA 2001-2010
City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 319.1)
173.7 203.9 178.2 208.4 200.4 193.2 202.2 203.3 258.4 320.9
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Bluefi...#ixzz20zBkaEk6

compared that with:

Crime stats for Bluefield, WVA 1999-2010
City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 319.1)
292.8 291.5 264.9 274.1 265.1 285.0 273.9 217.1 320.0 268.4
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Bluefi...#ixzz20zC8YxWP

Sp, using my statistician skills, since the towns are (in essence) one metropolitan area, why is it that:

1) The WVA crime stats have on average been 222.3 over the last ten years, (even though the numbers have rested in the high 200's, with no year lower than 250)
2) While the same town in VA, has had the crime stats been (on average) 330.9 ?

That latter figure (Bluefield VA's) stats are massive. That's major metro crime rate, for a town of roughly 30-50,000 or more! (for example- Richfield, MN has a Crime Rate of 359.4, based on the last year stats were compiled (2005). But Richfield's crime stats jumped by almost 100 points in that year, right at the point the Mayor and City council decided to make Richfield more 'multicultural'- This is a historic fact that all Minnesotans know. Nowadays (2012) it has these stats:

White alone - 22,260 (63.2%)
Hispanic - 6,436 (18.3%)
Black alone - 3,152 (8.9%)
Asian alone - 2,150 (6.1%)
Two or more races - 854 (2.4%)
American Indian alone - 225 (0.6%)
Other race alone - 134 (0.4%)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone - 17 (0.05%)
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Richfi...#ixzz20zGzeuw8

This is a HUGE change from even 2000. It's still a nice 'first ring suburb' to live in, but it does seem odd that Spanish is now the second language of instruction, in an area of the US, that never was Hispanic before 2000!


So, in looking at stats for what I am considering a perfect place to retire for the family, I find this is all the stranger, when you realize that Bluefield, VA has historically has a much more 'normal' crime rate for a town its size. (Though the numbers have rested in the very (very) low 200's, right up until 2009, when it first approached 260) If you ignore the last two years (when crime stats went through the roof) the VA side of the state line has had an average crime stat number of 195.4- which is what we were expecting to find, based on what we remembered of the area!

So then, why did Bluefield, VA's stats jump a massive 62.5 points from 2009-2010, matching WVA's 2009 crime stats, almost verbatim, AFTER having jumped another massive 51.1 points the year preceding (2008)?? Why is there the racial discrepancy as well?

Does anyone have clues to help me figure out the area, which otherwise, looks absolutely perfect as a place for me and the missus to live?

I truly would like to figure this out......

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Old 07-18-2012, 11:09 AM
 
79,900 posts, read 43,863,085 times
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As far as the new regulations go Bluefield simply needs to ignore them and do what works for them.
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Old 07-18-2012, 11:40 AM
 
Location: Midwest
43 posts, read 72,729 times
Reputation: 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by cry_havoc View Post
The US locks up more people than China. Many are non violent and guilty of breaking stupid laws. We need to be closing prisons and changing the law so almost half of our population are not committing crimes for merely living their lives.

China has a communist and very autocratic state/culture. Saying what you do, means nothing. One could also say that Russia under the Gulag had less people engaging in crime- which would have been true. But why? Because crime there (or in China) can cost a person their lives!

And which law is 'stupid'- YOu shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, use a gun, go to prison?

To presume that people are all 'good' is the height of fallacy. Both crime stats, as well as the destruction of entire neighborhoods, is the reason for believing people good. When people ARE good (caused by training in righteousness, i.e., a moral code) then crime goes down. This, too is demonstrable by statistics.

You've not said anything, but blown hot air. Sorry to be blunt. I was asking a simple question, and didn't need to get a H8 comment, my first day on this site.

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Old 07-18-2012, 11:41 AM
 
Location: Midwest
43 posts, read 72,729 times
Reputation: 32
Pknopp. What regulations are you speaking of? I am not a local. Investigating the area. Need more info, thanks.
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Old 07-18-2012, 11:43 AM
 
Location: Midwest
43 posts, read 72,729 times
Reputation: 32
Both crime stats, as well as the destruction of entire neighborhoods, is the reason for [NOT] believing people good...


Arrrgh. Fingers. Sorry. Unclear.
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Old 07-18-2012, 11:45 AM
 
Location: Midwest
43 posts, read 72,729 times
Reputation: 32
Cry- by the way, what part of Bluefield do you live in?

VA or WVA?
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Old 07-18-2012, 11:49 AM
 
Location: West Virginia
16,583 posts, read 15,505,007 times
Reputation: 10820
Quote:
Originally Posted by RevDocJohn View Post
Cry- by the way, what part of Bluefield do you live in?

VA or WVA?
He's in Morgantown.

BTW, I wouldn't put too much importance on the news about the jail. Almost all of West Virginia's city and county jails have been closed and prisoners placed under the custody of the State Department of Corrections in the 7 Regional Jails. For some reason, Bluefield has not yet closed their city jail. (according to that link).
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