Does Indianapolis have a crime problem? (Lafayette, Fishers: low income, apartment complex, felony)

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by Broadrippleguy

Parents of kids like that need to be fined $$ for crap like this in addition to throwing the kids behind bars for life without parole.
The money used by a poor parenting ordinance could go to hiring more police officers.

When you consider the economic standing of folks an ordinance like this would impact, I don't think you'll be hiring many police officers with the money. In fact, you'll have more of a burden on the existing police force when we have to go after people who can't pay the fine; leaving those same kids with no parentals at home at all.

The problems in inner city Indianapolis are complex; instituting some kind of parent fine won't change anything.

[bertrandandjules]

Originally Posted by Indyking

I know every large metro area has its criminality problems but what most metros have seen in the latest years is a reduction in violent crime rates, with fewer places going the opposite direction or not improving. Indy fits the latter.

Pretty much every crime related statistic out there would suggest otherwise about Indy. The one that keeps popping up in the news...like practically every day...is Chicago. And even it's crime is still much lower than some cities (Detroit, St. Louis, New Orleans).

[indy18]

Originally Posted by bertrandandjules

Pretty much every crime related statistic out there would suggest otherwise about Indy. The one that keeps popping up in the news...like practically every day...is Chicago. And even it's crime is still much lower than some cities (Detroit, St. Louis, New Orleans).

Indy definitely has a crime problem. The fatal shooting on the east side last night brings 2013's murder count to a tragic 20. That's awful. If the violent pace continues over the entire year, then 2013's murder total will be near 140.

Sure the Indy crime statistics are lower than Detroit, St. Louis, and New Orleans, but you have to remember that Indy annexed the entire country, whereas those three cities have more "traditional" boundaries. Indy's annexation of the suburban areas of Marion Co. which are historically "safer", makes Indy's rates look better than a place like St. Louis with traditional inner city boundaries.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by indy18

Indy definitely has a crime problem. The fatal shooting on the east side last night brings 2013's murder count to a tragic 20. That's awful. If the violent pace continues over the entire year, then 2013's murder total will be near 140.

Sure the Indy crime statistics are lower than Detroit, St. Louis, and New Orleans, but you have to remember that Indy annexed the entire country, whereas those three cities have more "traditional" boundaries. Indy's annexation of the suburban areas of Marion Co. which are historically "safer", makes Indy's rates look better than a place like St. Louis with traditional inner city boundaries.

Uh you do realize even if the city kept the original boundaries, some of those murders would actually be in the townships and not the city proper. Goes both ways.

[missik999]

20 murders so far in 2013. Victims range in age from 4 months to 59 years old.

Only 17 murders by this date in 2012.

[indy18]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

Uh you do realize even if the city kept the original boundaries, some of those murders would actually be in the townships and not the city proper. Goes both ways.

If Indy had the original boundaries the total would obviously be lower, but the RATE would be much much much higher. Violence rate is how cities are ranked, and the annexation of suburban areas makes it look better in comparison to a place like St. Louis or Atlanta.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by indy18

If Indy had the original boundaries the total would obviously be lower, but the RATE would be much much much higher. Violence rate is how cities are ranked, and the annexation of suburban areas makes it look better in comparison to a place like St. Louis or Atlanta.

But the topic is whether Indy has a crime problem, not whether a problem exists within the old city boundaries. Unigov happened 43 years ago. It's time to move on from the old city boundaries.

[indy18]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

But the topic is whether Indy has a crime problem, not whether a problem exists within the old city boundaries. Unigov happened 43 years ago. It's time to move on from the old city boundaries.

The city boundaries weren't the crux of my point. I was just referring to them when people brought up cities like St. Louis. I was pointing out that a city like St. Louis doesn't have city boundaries that encompass as many suburban areas as Indy. My main point was that Indy as it currently exists (i.e. Marion County) has a crime problem. 20 homicides this year for Indy. That averages out to a horrible 146 over the year, which would be the worst year since 2006.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by indy18

The city boundaries weren't the crux of my point. I was just referring to them when people brought up cities like St. Louis. I was pointing out that a city like St. Louis doesn't have city boundaries that encompass as many suburban areas as Indy. My main point was that Indy as it currently exists (i.e. Marion County) has a crime problem. 20 homicides this year for Indy. That averages out to a horrible 146 over the year, which would be the worst year since 2006.

For starters indianapolis isnt all of marion county. Second, it's not about city boundaries, it's more policing district. For instance, part of clarke-pleasant township is whiteland BUT greenwood policing district and not whiteland police. Yiu file a police report, you goto greenwood pd to file it. Borders are what they are. St. Louis is small but so is san francisco yet the two are vastly different. Detroit is 167 sq miles. What's its excuse? Houston is some 600. Invisible municipal lines doesn't equal crime.

[wh15395]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

For starters indianapolis isnt all of marion county. Second, it's not about city boundaries, it's more policing district. For instance, part of clarke-pleasant township is whiteland BUT greenwood policing district and not whiteland police. Yiu file a police report, you goto greenwood pd to file it. Borders are what they are. St. Louis is small but so is san francisco yet the two are vastly different. Detroit is 167 sq miles. What's its excuse? Houston is some 600. Invisible municipal lines doesn't equal crime.

I think Detroits "excuse" would be that the city used to be home to 2 million people, unlike Indianapolis which just decided to annex a bunch of rural and suburban land to make the city look bigger. I get Indy18's point. If Indianapolis included only pre-unigov areas, the city would probably be at nearly the same level as St. Louis when it comes to crime. Not only that, but univgov has also contributed to the ghetto spreading out to more suburban areas.