Is Chicago really dangerous? (Cambridge: move, estate, money)

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Attrill

The FBI did catch Baltimore falsifying numbers and called them on it, but it is pretty unusual for them to do so.

The Feds must have been watching season 3 of "The Wire".

[Avengerfire]

Even Jesse Jackson says we need 1000 more cops.

[Lookout Kid]

Adding more cops is a good idea. Couldn't we just get rid of a few TIF districts to make it happen?

[latikeriii]

I'm surprised no one mentioned that the crack epidemic in the 80s and 90s was responsible for a huge portion of murders in Chicago and the nation as a whole. Crack was a huge money business and turf battles were common, much worse than today. Also, the crackheads themselves committed a buttload of crime. Crime is trending upwards but obviously not as violent as the early 90s. Additionally, the projects were murder factories, many are gone now and those residents have dispursed elevating crime where they relocated. A huge portion of crime was confined to the projects back then, now is more widespread. I also agree about the actual statistics being fudged, the media (Better Technology, online news, video cell phones) oversensationalizing shootings, bad economy, and a major police shortage.

[sparkschi]

Chicago is not really bad it just some parts are.

[chicago103]

Originally Posted by maybeitsjustme

From an outsider's perspective reading this forum, it sounds like nobody should even VISIT Chicago, let alone live there. The amount of crime that is reported and talked about seems to be very high compared to other cities around the country.

Is this an affliction of this community to talk about crime, or is it true to all of Chicago's neighborhoods?

I live in Boston and am getting transferred to Chicago as of October 1st of this year. Reading on this forum is making me scared to move.

As a visitor in Chicago, I never felt scared, threatened or intimidated. This was spending most of my time in Wicker Park and Lincoln Square. Is it really that unsafe to be out in any neighborhood in Chicago after dark? I find that hard to believe.

Anyway, what are safer neighborhoods to live in. I've read the other posts--but i'm looking for specifics. Streets close to nightlife and shopping in lincoln park, river north, lakeview, etc..

Thanks.

Don't be fooled by the hysteria floating around out there. Sure, there are problems but they are usually isolated to neighborhoods you would probably never venture into. Chicago is a safe place to visit and live as long as you avoid these areas. All of the neighborhoods you mention are relatively safe, people have to realize nothing is 100% anywhere outside of a cave in the wilderness hundreds of miles from other humans, even then you have to worry about grizzly bears or something. Isolated incidents happen everywhere, every neighborhood, every city, every suburb, everywhere, nowhere is 100% safe. I wish people would end this fixation with sensationalized media coverage.

[coldwine]

Chicago is safe. However, Chicago "got stuck" with a lot of poor people due to its overly generous welfare policies in the past. As with many Rustbelt cities, politicians bought votes through race and welfare issues, and a significant chunk of the population stayed put for decades.

Unfortunately, welfare cash is drying up of late. What's more, I have a deep suspicion (but no proof, so this is Internet Speculation) that most of the violence being seen has everything to do with one very distinct industry suffering from extreme cash flow stoppages. And neither its suppliers, sellers or customers tend to go cold turkey easily.

Bottom line, Chicago has crime issues now, yes. And it will keep rising, and in unpredictable locations due to the way poor families from the projects are relocated. However, just wait until the Sunbelt keeps adding manufacturing jobs, cheap suburbs and sprawling cities. Eventually there will be another Great Migration south, only this time I suspect it will be more diverse racially (albeit homogenous financially).

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by coldwine

Chicago is safe. However, Chicago "got stuck" with a lot of poor people due to its overly generous welfare policies in the past.

Chicago was filled to the brim with poor people before welfare policies existed. Most of today's welfare recipients in Chicago have roots in the city that go back multiple generations. Some people were able to take advantage of America's post-war middle-class boom.... And others were not. So the real issue is, are welfare policies keeping the poor in poverty?

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Chicago was filled to the brim with poor people before welfare policies existed. Most of today's welfare recipients in Chicago have roots in the city that go back multiple generations. Some people were able to take advantage of America's post-war middle-class boom.... And others were not. So the real issue is, are welfare policies keeping the poor in poverty?

I think these stats will surprise a lot of people (scroll down to the summary table at the bottom).

DHS: July 2009


The number of people receiving traditional welfare benefits is actually quite small. 70% of all state aid cases are for medical care these days.

[chicago103]

I dare someone to actually look up the crime statistics going back to the late 1980's and then be terrified about what is going on now.

Homicides 1990-2009

1990: 851
1991: 927
1992: 943
1993: 931
1994: 929
1995: 827
1996: 789
1997: 759
1998: 704
1999: 641
2000: 628
2001: 666
2002: 647
2003: 598
2004: 448
2005: 449
2006: 467
2007: 442
2008: 510
2009: 458

Its amazing what you will find out when you actually have a long view looking back, even as recently as 2001 there were significantly more murders than today.