July Crime Stats (Minneapolis, Jordan: violent crime, neighborhoods, living)

[northsub]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

The four neighborhoods in Longfellow have the highest population. Total crime numbers are FAR lower. Whittier probably has a much higher transient population, lots more rentals. I think there is some sort of correlation between people with no roots and more crime. Which is why the city tries to make it difficult to transition from owner-occupied to rental, from local ownership to absentee (i.e., suburban) ownership. Too bad that troublesome people so often are renters. Not to stereotype renters. I was one for nearly 30 years. But to some degree, renting is an alternative to living on the street. It is the next easiest thing to manage financially. I think any area of the city that has above average ownership by someone l iving far away is primed for trouble. Some people just want the income, don't think about anything but "can I be paid?"

This doesn't seem right. I'm seeing a Whittier population of 13,000 something. The place I'm looking shows 5 neighborhoods in Longfellow. Seward looks to have the largest population at 7,000 something.

As for crime rates (by population of neighborhood), it appears the overall rate for this year's total is lower in Whittier than in the Longfellow neighborhood (not the group, the individual neighborhood). If you subtract out larceny, then Whittier looks to have a lower rate than Longfellow and Seward. If you look at burglary only, Whittier has a lower rate than all 5 neighborhoods in the Longfellow group.

[Beenhere4ever]

I think it pays to read stats intelligently. One place to start is larceny. The numbers downtown and in Whittier look imposing, but the overwhelming majority are larcenies. If most other neighborhoods lack that large number, it is a matter of lack of opportunity. Most larceny is a crime against business. Whittier and downtown are business-heavy. Rybak's neighborhood is almost devoid of business. Now if you take the violent crime part of the chart, downtown west has 45, Longfellow neighborhood has 9, and Whittier has 19. I won't go so far as to rank the whole city, but based July alone, you'd be WAY better off living in Whittier than around downtown. If you go YTD, it is 37 for Longfellow, 96 for Whittier, 224 for Downtown West. Its not even apples and oranges;more like apples and cucumbers. For a very large neighborhood with so many absentee owners, Whittier is probably a better choice than many. And for people looking to rent, the presence of all those rentals will be a strong gravitational pull. The safest neighborhoods in the city won't have anything but very upscale rentals, if that.

[Beenhere4ever]

Just want to add this for people interested in Whittier or thinking of moving there. There is a neighborhood online group for matters affecting the neighborhood. I think there are some very experienced residents on it, people who could answer questions with the perspective of years of residence. Now the domain says "e-democracy", but these aren't really political issues groups. They are for events, meeting neighbors, asking questions about business, etc. But neighborhood solidarity is a positive step in fighting victimization by crime, so I think the groups do a good job. You can READ without registering. But if you think you want to comment or ask questions, then you can register.

Minneapolis Whittier Neighbors Forum: E-Democracy.org

[ManBearPig1]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

I think it pays to read stats intelligently. One place to start is larceny. The numbers downtown and in Whittier look imposing, but the overwhelming majority are larcenies. If most other neighborhoods lack that large number, it is a matter of lack of opportunity. Most larceny is a crime against business. Whittier and downtown are business-heavy. Rybak's neighborhood is almost devoid of business. Now if you take the violent crime part of the chart, downtown west has 45, Longfellow neighborhood has 9, and Whittier has 19. I won't go so far as to rank the whole city, but based July alone, you'd be WAY better off living in Whittier than around downtown. If you go YTD, it is 37 for Longfellow, 96 for Whittier, 224 for Downtown West. Its not even apples and oranges;more like apples and cucumbers. For a very large neighborhood with so many absentee owners, Whittier is probably a better choice than many. And for people looking to rent, the presence of all those rentals will be a strong gravitational pull. The safest neighborhoods in the city won't have anything but very upscale rentals, if that.

No, you really wouldn't. The vast majority of crime downtown is all bar close related stuff. This has been addressed numerous times.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by ManBearPig1

No, you really wouldn't. The vast majority of crime downtown is all bar close related stuff. This has been addressed numerous times.

QFT. There is no reasonable argument that Whittier is safer than the downtown residential areas. First Ave. N at 2:30 am? Potential problems. Riverfront condos? No problems. Just looking at the numbers without context is not reading them intelligently, it's comparing apples to, um, cucumbers.

[Mason3000]

Stay West of Nicollet if possible.

Originally Posted by aerodmb

Holy crap, I didn't know Whittier was a problem child. I am about to sign a year lease in that area, should I reconsider?

[nick is rulz]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

I still remember the pizza guy who rang a doorbell in Whittier and ended up dead.

When was this?


In regards to Whittier, its ok but has its spots of meh for sure. The areas north of 26th and west of Pillsbury are generally decent as you get closer to Lyndale. The quality of life off 24th and Harriet isnt going to be drastically different than off 24th and Bryant, for example.

[Beenhere4ever]

My guess is that most people reading were not born when the pizza delivery shooting happened. But you don't forget a story like that. Always made me wonder how people could take that job. But it is one of those situations where there are probably other occupations MUCH more dangerous. I drove night shift cab once, and I've heard it is one of the most dangerous, stressful things you can do. Only hint I got of that was when a cop car came up to me at the cab stand and said it was a bad idea to park on Plymouth Avenue in the middle of the night. One warning was enough for me, and I would deadhead downtown anytime I dropped on Northside.

Citywide, crime is trending down. But aggravated assaults downtown seem to be sticky. My wild guesses are (a) they are knife attacks and (b) they are personal, people who know each other and are hostile. Meaning if you don't belong to the thug class, you are probably nearly 100 percent safe. Not sure how MPD treats these things. And frankly not sure most victims even report them. But maybe some are found injured by a stranger and taken to HCMC and that's how they make the charts.

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/gro...s1p-097386.pdf

[nick is rulz]

I've delivered pizza, but its been in the suburbs....mostly just because trying to park in Stevens or Loring to deliver would be obnoxious. It can be unsettling at times for sure.

[uptown_urbanist]

I think the murder in question was in the '80s, but could be way off. Whittier had some rough years, no doubt about it. Starting in the 1990s sometime it really started to improve, in part due to all the immigrant-driven revitalization along Nicollet (leading to "Eat Street" by the late '90s). It's a lot nicer then it was even 10 years ago. But it's a fairly large neighborhood, and some blocks/areas have higher crime rates than others. I would have no hesitations moving to some blocks in Whittier, but would avoid other sections. Not sure what the modern data says, but I'd still be wary of near the freeway near the Kmart.