Neighborhoods to avoid (Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove: crime, homes, school district)

[Connor Heim]

It's really too bad that North Minneapolis is such a bad neighborhood. I've seen a number of BEAUTIFUL homes on the market on N. Oliver recently and I can imagine that back 100 years ago the neighborhood was just lovely.

Has anyone heard if there are any revitalization efforts in the works for North Minneapolis? It's such a shame to see such gorgeous architecture go to waste! look at this: http://msp.themlsonline.com/search/details/e97c92c6b86196c032772764be978a09/2/results/3296978 (broken link)

Connor

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Time to put on the daddy pants. I'm gonna lay down stats for you. There are four neighborhoods in Minneapolis that make up the uptown area: East Isles, Lowry Hill East, ECCO and Carag. Here are the crime stats from these four neighborhoods this year.

Carag:
murders 1
rapes 4

ECCO:
murders 0
rapes 3

East Isles:
murders 0
rapes 0

Lowry Hill East:
murders 0
rapes 6

this data was taken from the Minneapolis police website and is thru December 19, 2006.

Now quit spitting off the tall tails your friends have told you and shut up.

[Jim Stokes]

Heavenly days, Slig old chap. I see that you are snugly tucked away in Ramsey, far from the madding crowd of Uptown. Makes me rather suspect as your "data."

Again, kindly look in the Southwest Journal, a most accurate newspaper that serves the Uptown and surrounding area. There you shall find TONS of crimes listed in that area, particularly in the Hennepin-Lake, aka "Uptown" area.

BTW, is the old KTWN-FM tower still in Ramsey?

Happy New Years!

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Yes Jim, I currently live in Ramsey, MN until I save up enough money to buy a house in Minneapolis. However, as I stated 2 posts ago, I lived in Uptown earlier this year. I lived in an apartment near the corner of 28th St and Fremont Ave from March-August 2006, so I know what it's like in Uptown. I also watch the news and check the Star Tribune website daily. I'm not some stowed away suburb guy who turns his back at anything that might hint his beloved state is somewhere below perfect. However, I don't let a few media stories completely blown out of proportion put me into a state of fear and insecurity. I form my opinions from hard data and personal experiences...both of which suggest that Uptown is not that dangerous. North Minneapolis isn't safe, there have been 30 murders there this year. The Phillips neighborhood isn't safe either as there have been 15 there. Your claims that Uptown is filled with murder is completely false though, there has been 1 murder there. Now enough with the foolishness. Don't give people any information unless you know it first hand.

[politikally]

You can post all the statistics you want, I still won't buy into it. There is plenty of crime that goes unreported, so I won't trust the paperwork. Plus the crimes are classified by certain actions - i.e. X, Y, & Z have to occur in the crime before it falls into a statistical category, otherwise the department isn't required to list it. It skews the statistics. I'm sure if someone looked hard enough they'd find a statistic to match just about any argument they want to make. Again, I don't buy it.

Quoting the Star Tribune:

"Violent crime was up 22 percent compared to the previous year. Visitors to Uptown and downtown were killed on the street. A teen was murdered for the jersey on his back. Police officers shot a man to death, and Dolan's handling of that case prompted a no-confidence vote from members of a group tasked with improving police and community relations."

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/755302.html

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I don't understand why you won't trust reported crime statistics but you will believe a notoriously biased periodical. A murder is a murder, there is no way to skew that statistic. It doesn't take an investigator long to discover whether a death was due to natural causes, suicide or by the hands of another. The margin of error is so tiny it's irrelevant. That being said, what's there not to believe about statistics? The evening news and newspapers choose what they want to cover. Their goal isn't to give people an accurate perception of what is actually going on, it's to attract people to view their show or buy their paper....keep that in mind next time you attempt to use that as your main source at determining which neighborhoods in the city are safe.

I can't even believe I have to explain this stuff.

[Jim Stokes]

What politikally said was true. Thanks. The jersey murder incident was tragic. Latest Uptown serial crime wave is the purse snatcher. If the victim resists, he beats them severely.

[Jim Stokes]

People who flee the city then praise their last neighborhood such as Uptown are not to be believed. By their fruits yee shall know them.

[politikally]

Well here's the thing - for statistical purposes what constitutes a murder?
Basically if a guy is dead on the ground when the cops get there, and there is significant evidence of murder.
If the victim dies in the Ambulance or at the hospital it was not murder for statistical purposes.
In that case it was death as a result of: heart attack, stroke, previous health conditions, the medical teams's fault. But it wasn't murder.
Example: An 80 year old landlord and family man was badly beaten, stabbed and hospitalized by a female tenant. The man stayed a week in hospital and was about to be released when he suffered a fatal stroke.
Police say no murder charges to be laid. He died in hospital as a result of a stroke, not the beating. Thus no murder for statistical purposes.

There are plenty of other ways to skew statistics. Like I said before, certain things have to occur before it gets classified as "murder" for statistical purposes. Enron had accounting, Cities have crime statistics - both want the best numbers possible.

[Jim Stokes]

Thanks for sharing, politikally. Nice work. You are correct in how stats become little lies for law enforcement to cover their behinds. Or for other politically correct notions. Hey politikally, stop at the Uptown McDs some morning. I'm the old big guy with the beard and an English short billed type cap. Am usually carring a brief case. I'll buy ya a cuppa coffee.

As for slig, enjoy Ramsey. May God have Mercy on your Soul.