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The city needs to tackle the problem head on and not just classify it as a "problem for those people in the ghettos." The murder rate for the 700,000 people in that 25% is 49.12 per 100,000 people. If those neighborhoods where 700,000 residents currently live were to form their own city (a major city at that with 700,000 residents), it would easily be the most dangerous city in the country per capita.
25% is actually a lot of the city to be effected by such crime. Thank heavens the city saw an large drop in homicides this year though. That progress needs to continue. The city can't make excuses that say "well 75% of us are doing great, and 25% of us have drive by shootings!! Isn't life grand!"
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Originally Posted by Chicago60614
I certainly wasn't saying it as an excuse. I think a rate of 16/100,000 is far too high. I was just pointing out that one of the reasons why more isn't being done when you'd think there was outrage is that 75% of residents are living in the "Chicago" that has a murder rate of around 5.3/100,000. The areas with 50/100,000 are mostly grouped together in the south side and areas of the west side. That's pretty much just no-mans-land for a majority of the population. The news reports murders in a sentence or two, and since people don't ever have a reason to go to those areas - it might as well be happening in Detroit or Baltimore. That's what needs to really change. The "well it's not my problem" stance. My roommate teaches in those neighborhoods, and I can tell you from visiting it's CRAZY. No respect for anyone, the dollar is king, no ambition by many of the young people. The good people who just want to live their lives and be happy, a majority of that 700,000, are pushed down and out by the loud mouth people who want to be macho and fight. In regards to the 2,900,000 people in this city - it really is a very small percent that are out there causing chaos and ruining it for everyone else. People need to team up and put an end to it.
I certainly wasn't saying it as an excuse. I think a rate of 16/100,000 is far too high. I was just pointing out that one of the reasons why more isn't being done when you'd think there was outrage is that 75% of residents are living in the "Chicago" that has a murder rate of around 5.3/100,000. The areas with 50/100,000 are mostly grouped together in the south side and areas of the west side. That's pretty much just no-mans-land for a majority of the population. The news reports murders in a sentence or two, and since people don't ever have a reason to go to those areas - it might as well be happening in Detroit or Baltimore. That's what needs to really change. The "well it's not my problem" stance. My roommate teaches in those neighborhoods, and I can tell you from visiting it's CRAZY. No respect for anyone, the dollar is king, no ambition by many of the young people. The good people who just want to live their lives and be happy, a majority of that 700,000, are pushed down and out by the loud mouth people who want to be macho and fight. In regards to the 2,900,000 people in this city - it really is a very small percent that are out there causing chaos and ruining it for everyone else. People need to team up and put an end to it.
It's certainly sad and ridiculous...but true.
Don't you think this is true for every city in America? There are trouble spots and nice safe areas in Baltimore and Detroit. Obviously there is not much crime in neigbhborhoods where houses go for upwards of $900K and Detroit has those, too...
The problem however is that there is a spill over of crime from problem areas (not much to steal/rob in poor areas, is there?) and then the supposedly localized crime affects the enitre city.
What is really mindbogling in Chicago is that this situation in continues for so long yet there is so little public outrage and demand for action from the police department there. The "I don't care about what happens outside of my own backyard" attitude is extremely shortsided and sure to backfire...
Just look at the example of LA which improved their crime numbers dramatically in the past 10 years, their new number are the lowest in the past 50 years!!!
Don't you think that if you can have so muc success in gang-infested, close to the border (no disrespect intended) and other large cities LA, you could do it in a fairly isolated Chicago???
I think Chicago police department is simply not being pushed hard enough to rectify the situation in the city. Does that mean that Chicagoans enjoy their city being more dangerous than both LA and New York???
Don't you think this is true for every city in America? There are trouble spots and nice safe areas in Baltimore and Detroit.
To a certain extent, yes. Pretty much every city has good areas and bad areas, some more of one type than another. But there are some cities where violence and decay are simply more pervasive than elsewhere. Baltimore is a good example of this. There are certainly some lovely, wonderful neighbohoods in Baltimore. But they tend to exist more as patches of good in a sea of bad--significant portions of Baltimore's west, east and south sides are very poor and unpleasant neighborhoods. I contrast that with Baltimore's neighbor to the south, DC, a city also known for having high crime. In DC, most violent crime is highly concentrated in a handful of particularly bad neighborhoods--many of which can be easily avoided. In DC, you can start in the leafy upper northwest neighborhoods, stroll south into Georgetown, and then amble east all the way across the city to the eastern fringes of Capitol Hill--a very large area--and remain in largely safe, vibrant neighborhoods the entire time. That is far more difficult to do in cities such as Baltimore and Detroit.
Even when Chicago was at it's worst, it was still never comparable to Juarez or even other cities in Mexico. Talk about exaggeration lol.
What sets apart Juarez though besides its horrific murder rate is the extreme brutality of the murders. I agree that violence is violence, but what is happening and how people are being killed south of the border is far beyond what Chicago or Detroit or any other cities that have had high murder rates have ever experienced imo.
To a certain extent, yes. Pretty much every city has good areas and bad areas, some more of one type than another. But there are some cities where violence and decay are simply more pervasive than elsewhere. Baltimore is a good example of this. There are certainly some lovely, wonderful neighbohoods in Baltimore. But they tend to exist more as patches of good in a sea of bad--significant portions of Baltimore's west, east and south sides are very poor and unpleasant neighborhoods. I contrast that with Baltimore's neighbor to the south, DC, a city also known for having high crime. In DC, most violent crime is highly concentrated in a handful of particularly bad neighborhoods--many of which can be easily avoided. In DC, you can start in the leafy upper northwest neighborhoods, stroll south into Georgetown, and then amble east all the way across the city to the eastern fringes of Capitol Hill--a very large area--and remain in largely safe, vibrant neighborhoods the entire time. That is far more difficult to do in cities such as Baltimore and Detroit.
Contrary to popular belief - especially by Washingtonians who feel superior to Earth - Baltimore has more nice neighborhoods than bad ones, therefore you're example is not valid. Opps! did i just defend the city that isn't supposed to be defended?
Contrary to popular belief - especially by Washingtonians who feel superior to Earth
Sorry, you lost me when you went with the old "DC superiority complex" line. If you'd read my other postings about Baltimore, you'd find me a strong advocate for the city. My wife and I have looked strongly at potentially moving there because--as I stated in my post which you quoted--I have found many lovely neighborhoods. But everyone from DC who says something less than stellar about Charm City doesn't have a superiority complex--and it makes you look overly defensive to claim so.
I'm no stranger to the city--I've been there numerous times, have friends who live there, have a family member who went to school there, and visit often. And I do not agree that there are more good neighborhoods than bad in the city. Oh, sure, words like "good" and "bad," "safe and "unsafe" are subjective and personal--but it's not exactly a far-fetched statement to say that tremendous portions of B-more's south, east and west sides are crummy areas. Crime in Baltimore is far more dispersed throughout the city than it is in other cities--such as DC. You may not like that (if I was a Baltimorean, I wouldn't like it either) but pointing out said fact does not make one a Baltimore hater.
You do not agree because you have not seen the whole city. The city is large, and while large swaths of Baltimore are crime ridden, more than half the city is not. I highly doubt your travels to Baltimore have brought you to most of Baltimore. Mostly because the parts im speaking of are quiet neighborhoods away from where anyone would travel (Dickeyville, Westfield, Broening Manor as examples).There is not a lot of south Baltimore as most of it is a river/bay, so im not sure we could say tremendous areas of the south. The east central and west central sides, yes, they're bad, but they do not make up most of the city. Significant swaths of the NW, N, NE, SE, SW, and S central parts of the city are without blight.
Im sorry i was out of line, but its so common to hear DC people on this boards, and in reality, hate Baltimore. Just look at the rank these cities 1-10 thread and see how they almost all break the "Washington Baltimore area" apart, give DC a 10, Baltimore a 3. It's no secret how many Washingtonians feel about their neighbor. Im not a Baltimorean, Ive never lived there, i lived in Frederick, and grew to love Baltimore and DC, but like the underdog more, simply because it was so stomped on by everyone, yet wasn't the complete ghetto they all said it was. Am I overly defensive of Baltimore? Yes, completely, im sure i get very annoying. Im the only one who often defends a city nobody cares to defend. The guy saying chicago may as well be Baltimore could mean extremely expensive areas, upper class neighborhoods, or Middle Class, all of which together make larger portions than most think.
You do not agree because you have not seen the whole city.
In fact, I have seen a lot of the city. But, I still find myself in disagreement that *most* of Baltimore is nice and safe. That hasn't been my experience.
Look, I know you love the city...and I like it a lot, too. But crime is a pervasive problem there, and it's not just limited to a couple of bad areas. That being said, give me a townhouse in Mt. Vernon and I'd be happy as a lark.
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