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I'm new to Orlando area (Winter Garden), just got here a week ago. I've received advice from people on this forum about where to live and stay away from, I appreciate everyone who replied.
There are many many posts about how bad the crime is in Orlando. But I have not seen any posts on how to fix it or why there is so much crime in the area.
So I have to ask everyone :
1) why do you think there is so much here in Orlando
2) how do you propose to fix it. Is it fixable?
3) what seems to be the major factor in it - i.e. lack of police force, politians lack of focus on the topic, drugs, immigrants, no jobs, etc.....
I'm new to Orlando area (Winter Garden), just got here a week ago. I've received advice from people on this forum about where to live and stay away from, I appreciate everyone who replied.
There are many many posts about how bad the crime is in Orlando. But I have not seen any posts on how to fix it or why there is so much crime in the area.
So I have to ask everyone :
1) why do you think there is so much here in Orlando
2) how do you propose to fix it. Is it fixable?
3) what seems to be the major factor in it - i.e. lack of police force, politians lack of focus on the topic, drugs, immigrants, no jobs, etc.....
Just wondering what triggers it ......
Well there "is" a spike in crime here compared to 3 & 4 years ago.....and i have lived here for 7 years and do see some changes in the actual level violence of the stories that are on the news.....meaning that there has always been really terrible things throughout the history of crime here and in other cities but the level of how violent and brasen these criminals are becoming is making it the norm nowadays to see criminals doing things that are really violent in the daylight with people around and those things are happening more and more at a higher rate then before in Orlando...
With that said i think this is also a trend around the nation as far as the desperation of criminals goes...but for our community you can sense a difference if you used to live here but just moved back and some locals sense that difference in the atmosphere without having to leave and come back after a few years.......some people don't sense any difference because when you are hearing the news everyday things change gradully and for some people they dont even sense how bad things have become in the last 3 years compared to before that....
Now to answer the questions from my own perspective....
If anyone says i am wrong then sue me.....because we are all coming from different lifestyles living here in Orlando and different age groups and other factors that may skew some views....but this is my view of why?....things are the way they are in Orlando at this time
1) why do you think there is so much here in Orlando
I think there has always been a crime issue here since it is a city but just in the last couple years it is worse than normal for this area....I think there are a lot of reasons for this......First off is that the city is growing at a really fast rate with new people flooding it...i read that Orlando was not ranked in most appealing places to live just a couple years ago and this year it is the #6 place on the list of cities that people would choose to move to....so i think the list is right because the city has grown alot in the last couple years.....and that growth has brought alot of different kinds of people to the area...
There has always been a crime issue in the poorer sections of town like "Pine Hills", "The Paramore division", "South Orlando/Holden Heights", and up near "Rosemont".....and in "Old Sanford", and parts of "Apopka", and parts of "Winter Park" (which has really changed over the years)....
but Now there has been a higher rate of random crime in other areas out in suburbs and not so high crime areas in the past....
I personally think that there has been lots of people that come here from up north to get away from whatever the situation up there might be and they move here thinking that the housing is cheaper and when they get here they find things harder than expected.....and im not talking about the ones that have the money to move out to Windemere or Lake Mary or Lake Nona....Im speaking of areas like "Azalea Park" and East Orlando by the Fashion Square Mall and Cassleberry and other areas close within or near the city limits.....well these people find things different then what they expected and they end up commiting crimes out in those areas to maintain thier lifestyle
2) how do you propose to fix it. Is it fixable?
It takes alot of voices to fix the problem and as you even see on here there are alot of people with the right money and voice but dont see the issue to be terrible because things are only happening in certain areas and not by them so do you think that anyone will listen to people in the miidle/lower middle class and poverty riden areas?.....But in those areas there are things that can be done like creating neighborhood watches and maybe people could do what "MetroWest" has done and hire more off duty cops to patrol things ....crime has gotten better in that area from doing this.....
3) what seems to be the major factor in it - i.e. lack of police force, politians lack of focus on the topic, drugs, immigrants, no jobs, etc.....
I think the major factors are that there aren't enough cops for the amount of new population that keeps coming in, and there arent alot of jobs with good wages that the average citizen can make a living with here.....i know lots of New Yorkers that tell me that the fast food places even pay more up there starting out...and other jobs for people without a degree payed more up there too....so that may be a big factor for the large population that has moved here without having a skill or degree........I dont think the politicians havent focused on the crime issue because there have been ordinances and new things to deter crime...like the "no panhandling laws in downtown" and the "red light running signs that let people know the price they will pay for doing it".....i know red light running isnt the main focus here but i think the city is doing things and taking action but they just dont have enough cops to enforce things
Thaspecial, I noticed you mentioned Casselberry was a bad area. Casselberry for the most part is a fairly nice area. There are 300-500k homes in Casselberry. Yes there is crime here in Orlando and the job situation is no the best here, but until you have lived somewhere like Newark, NJ, like I have, you really don't know what "bad" is. Everywhere in Newark is bad. There are no good parts in Newark, like there are in Orlando.
Thaspecial, I noticed you mentioned Casselberry was a bad area. Casselberry for the most part is a fairly nice area. There are 300-500k homes in Casselberry. Yes there is crime here in Orlando and the job situation is no the best here, but until you have lived somewhere like Newark, NJ, like I have, you really don't know what "bad" is. Everywhere in Newark is bad. There are no good parts in Newark, like there are in Orlando.
I didnt really say it was a bad area...i was just pointing out areas that are traditionally nuce but have a higher rate of random crimes compared to before ....i dont get a sense of danger in Cassleberry unless you are out there by those strip clubs as they begin to close but other than that i was basically saying that the influx of new people to the Orlando area in the last couple years has brought some random crime up in areas that arent known for being crime areas...I hear you about NJ i seen pics and heard stories, but really Newark is not as big as the Orlando area....I could say the same about Orlando if i took out the suburb areas....there wouldnt be too much nice areas here either except for right around the east side of downtown ....but i didnt grow up here in Orlando ...I grew up in Miami and lived in Carol City which is no cake walk either....and ive lived a couple other places too.....Orlando is just seeing higher crime than usuall and i was just giving my reasons why i think its become this way...overall it isnt Mexico City or anything but there are things to look out for that most people that just move here wouldnt think that could happen in this area....Would you say Newark is worse than The Bronx or Liberty City in Miami....Im just trying to see exactly how bad it is by using the art of comparison......I remember seeing that movie "New Jersey Drive" back in the day.....and i was living in Miami and i remember thinking that it looks dirty up there but the mentality of the kids where i was in Miami was the same though
I'm new to Orlando area (Winter Garden), just got here a week ago. I've received advice from people on this forum about where to live and stay away from, I appreciate everyone who replied.
There are many many posts about how bad the crime is in Orlando. But I have not seen any posts on how to fix it or why there is so much crime in the area.
So I have to ask everyone :
1) why do you think there is so much here in Orlando
2) how do you propose to fix it. Is it fixable?
3) what seems to be the major factor in it - i.e. lack of police force, politians lack of focus on the topic, drugs, immigrants, no jobs, etc.....
Just wondering what triggers it ......
I don’t' think it will ever be fixed because Florida will most likely never have a state income tax. If they did we could actually invest in our children for the education system (pay teachers more to get better quality teachers and be able to keep more good quality teachers), and invest in ourselves with more public safety (law enforcement and jails).
Better education system = less dropouts (which Florida is one of the worst in the country for high school graduation rates), which = less kids/young adults on the streets being led into a life of crime.
Better public safety system = More cops on the streets to catch the career criminals that are out there and more jails to put them away in so they don't get released after a few days because of overcrowding (this revolving door sends the wrong message).
The "ATF" is supposed to explain this current situation in Orlando involving gun violence in the area sometime later today.....maybe their reports will give a better view on part of the question of why there is a worse problem then normal or why you hear some people saying things on here about issues in Orlando....
I personally think that there has been lots of people that come here from up north to get away from whatever the situation up there might be and they move here thinking that the housing is cheaper and when they get here they find things harder than expected.....
In general the people who move to Orlando from up north are retirees, seniors, people with pensions and social security. They are the ones buying the big houses and condos out of their savings and contributing to the economy of Orlando (along with tourists). When is the last time you saw a 65-year old gang member in handcuffs?
And, believe me, younger folks up north are not flocking to Orlando for lower salaries or lesser opportunities. They are looking to make money and the jobs are in more industrial centers around the country.
On the other hand, the young criminals up north make more money mugging people on the streets of NY or NJ. And these criminals are not migrating to Florida to get away from a little bit of cold weather. So, my friend, don't blame the "people that come here from up north".
If you want to play the blame game, blame our courts, our lack of adequate police, our parole system, our education funding, even our lack of immigration controls, and all the other institutions that are supposed to keep us safe.
if you think the ppl moving here from up north are the retirees, you are wrong. retirees are not flocking here to fla anymore, and certainly not orlando. they are taking their money to nc,sc,tn, ga, etc...
the folks moving here to orlando are younger familes or middle-aged with kids and teens. everyone in my neighborhood is from ny nj and pr. very little retired households in my area, period. i bet you half of the ppl in my subdivision are puerto-rican and from ny or nj. many of which are new to florida, and many of them are not polite, dont take care of thier stuff/yards, have pit-bulls running around, get repeat violations from HOA, and i'm sick of it. so sick i'd sell my house today.
there are kids breaking into homes, cars, strong armed robberies at the mcdonalds down the street, all kinds of crap --- and this is in a good zipcode. the young punks TEND TO BE the ones trying to act bad-ass like "we're from ny/nj/pr, we are hard core." it's crap and it stinks. trying to act tough like anyone cares their from brooklyn/bronx/san juan. gimme a break.
what you say about the education system, immigration control, etc... is correct. i agree 100%.
what about solutions? there has got to be some way the people of Orlando who are sick of the crime can be heard by those who can stop the crime....there is power in numbers.
Politians don't care because they don't live where the crime happens & their kids attend grade 'a' schools...but if the Orlando people who want peace are loud enough , like start petitions, or a march or something , maybe that will help get the right attention to make it better.
...I don't know I am just trying to see if someone out there has any reasonable solutions that can be utilized instead of just sitting around complaining about .
any ny/nj criminal knows they will get more loot in ny/nj then here. so i don't believe its solely the northerners who relocated here that is to blame.
backtofla - you should move and find peace for yourself if you're miserable about what is going on in your subdivision. you need to be happy where you live or what's the point of living.....and that goes for anyone who is not happy where ever they are.
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What a joke!
