Minneapolis: closing in on Detroit on violent crime rates and yet so good at ignoring Minneapolis massive problems (St. Paul: places to live, professionals)

[Cruz Azul Guy]

oh yea? What intersection do you live by?

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Here are some supporting numbers to illustrate the differences:

Atlanta Population 483,108 (2006)
Homicides 2004=112 2005=89 2006=107

Cleveland Population 478,403 (2000)
Homicides 2004=86 2005=115 1006=119

Minneapolis Population 372,811 (2005)
Homicides 2004=54 2005=47 2006=59

Sources:
Wikipedia for Populations
http://www.policeforum.org/upload/Violent%20Crime%20Report%203707_140194792_39200714 3035.pdf (broken link)

I agree with you. I have read the posts about the crime rate in Minneapolis going up and it does make me sad that this is true. It makes me sad because as a teenager, I never associated Minneapolis(or Minnesota for that matter) with violence. Then again, my view of Minnesota came from the nonfiction books I read about Minnesota. It particularly saddens me because when there are discussions about crime, the subject of race sometimes comes into the matter and as a child I envisioned Minneapolis as being better than Atlanta(I still do and after watching the news in Atlanta, it makes Minnesota look like a dream land). As much as it makes me sad, I also take a look at statistics. Minneapolis has a high crime rate for its region, however, Atlanta is indeed more violent and getting worse. It isn't even the first day of summer and the violent crime rate is up. I also believe there is hope for Minnesota. I believe that Minneapolis can turn it around. The crime rate is high, but it isn't the worst. I read a post about Minneapolis closing in on Detroit. Detroit had 411 homicides in 2005. Minneapolis had 59. I believe Minneapolis needs more policemen patroling the police. Minneapolis is no paradise, but it isn't the worst place to live. Things can turn around. I have studied the situation. There is a migration of people from the Rust Belt cities looking for work and a better life in the Twins Cities and many people do find it. Many of those people go to work in the blue-collar sector of the economy because there are more jobs in Mpls. However, there is also a faction of people who move to the Twin Cities to live off of Minnesota's comparatively generous welfare system, or, get involved in crime. It is the people involved in crime who are driving up the crime rates.. Welfare is suppose to be there for those who need, not to leach off of. I look at it as with every migration of people looking for a better life, there are going to be people who, for one reason or another, get involved in crime. It is sad, but things can turn around.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by MattDen

I have to admit after seeing Minneapolitans defend the northside of town's astronomical crime rate which causes Minneapolis to be one of the crime-ridden cities in the nation its absolutely shocking.

People in Minneapolis should stop being dismissive and come to terms that there city is one of the most violent cities in America rather then just saying oh well its just on the northside of the city so it doesnt impact them. Minneapolitans dont realize it doesnt look good when your violent crime rate is nearly 3 times the national average.

And I guess two people killed on Metro transit buses recently? Most transit agencies dont have that many instances in 10 years. Seriously, Minneapolis likes to talk about being sustainable and transit-friendly but how can they expect people to ride a bus system that is not safe.

Seriously, the mayor of Minneapolis Rybak is in over his head and obviously is unable to perform his job all he worries about is sending his kids to elite schools. He doesnt worry about the massive amount of violence that occurs in Minneapolis.

The police chief in Minneapolis also is horrible also. I remember last year I was on a light-rail train and the incompetant, unable Minneapolis police were literally harassing an old lady because she didnt have her train ticket.

Here is an idea why doesnt that lazy police chief (Tom Dolan) and his equally lazy police officers worry about the northside of town rather then sending his police out doing the easy work trolling for old-ladies who dont have rail tickets.

Sorry, but St. Paul is far preferable then crime-ridden, progressively decaying Minneapolis.

By the way just to tell you how astronomically violent the cesspool of bad leadership and apathy of bad leadership Minneapolis is. Colorado Springs my hometown which has the around the same population as Minneapolis. Colorado Springs had 12 homicides in 2005 compared to violence-infested Minneapolis usually has usually 40-60 and even has had 90+ in a year before!!!!!!

Minneapolis only had 59 murders in 2006. Have you been to Atlanta? Atlanta had 107 murders in 2006. I do understand about Rybak. Rybak probably know the crime rate is going up quickly. Why else would he send his children to the "elite" schools? He is ignoring it.

[Otter1]

I live in the Houston area and in my view it is much worse than Mpls will ever be.
Every time I go back to MN to visit I don't want to leave. Every night on the news here there are multiple murders, drive-by shootings, etc. It gets old real fast. The freeway that I take to work seems to have a problem with shootings. 59 south through SW Houston has shootings on regular ocassions. Recently in broad daylight immigrant- smugglers had a shoot-out at a busy intersection. Houston also has absorbed 150,000 evacuees from Louisiana which has spiked the crime rate. In 2006 Houston had 379 homocides. Some staggering numbers in the past: 1981 701, 1991 608. Houston also has it's share of positives. I don't want to bash it altogether. My point is that Mpls has a problem for sure, but it is by far a great place to live. I hope to someday get back to MN for good.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by Otter1

I live in the Houston area and in my view it is much worse than Mpls will ever be.
Every time I go back to MN to visit I don't want to leave. Every night on the news here there are multiple murders, drive-by shootings, etc. It gets old real fast. The freeway that I take to work seems to have a problem with shootings. 59 south through SW Houston has shootings on regular ocassions. Recently in broad daylight immigrant- smugglers had a shoot-out at a busy intersection. Houston also has absorbed 150,000 evacuees from Louisiana which has spiked the crime rate. In 2006 Houston had 379 homocides. Some staggering numbers in the past: 1981 701, 1991 608. Houston also has it's share of positives. I don't want to bash it altogether. My point is that Mpls has a problem for sure, but it is by far a great place to live. I hope to someday get back to MN for good.

That is what many people are not looking at. Yes, Mpls has it's crime and it has been going up, but it isn't Atlanta or Detroit. Mpls is not even close to those levels. Something can be done about it while the problem hasn't turned into Detroit.

[ajf131]

Hmmm...looks like St. Louis is gonna have some more company as far as dangerous cities go. Now this is something I've got to ask...out of all cities high in crime, why does the Midwest have higher crime rates overall than any other region in the nation? i'm serious...practically every large city in the Midwest is leading the top ten or twenty in crime...Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland, don't know about KC or Cincy, Indy and Columbus are the exceptions. I've never seen so much crime concentrated in a single region of a country before. The Midwest is D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S and getting moreso all the time. THink I'm staying

[The Icy River Vagabond]

Seriously?? Minneapolis does not have a crime rate that is really that high.. Have you seen the FBI Stats for 2006 that were just published??? Flint Michigan is the most violent city in the country, followed by St. Louis and then Detroit. Minneapolis is NOWHERE near that level, not even a tenth. and it wont ever be near that level. Minneapolis is a very nice city. Minneapolis is at 25 murders so far this year, Detroit is at 300.. How is Minneapolis getting close??? This thread is just insane. Good luck finding a better city.... Get out and do something fun, and stop worrying about it. No one is going to hurt you.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Here is the list of the 25 most dangerious cities in the US in 2006 according to Morgan Quitno Corporation. Web: Morgan Quitno Press and based on on a city's rate for six crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft and only covers cities with 75,000 or more people.

1. St. Louis, MO
2. Detroit, MI
3. Flint, MI
4. Camden, NJ
5. Memphis, TN
6. Miami Gardens, FL
7. Orlando, FL
8. Compton, CA
9. Springfield, Mass
10. Little Rock, AR
11. Trenton, NJ
12. Baltimore, MD
13. North Charleston, SC
14. Atlanta, GA
15. Nashville, TN
16. Miami, FL
17. St. Petersburg, FL
18. Pompano Beach, FL
19. Stockton, CA
20. Birmingham, AL
21. Philadelphia, PA
22. Kansas City, MO
23. Minneapolis, MN
24. Tampa, FL
25. Oakland, CA

Minneapolis jumped back on the list for the first time since the late 90's but crime is down quite a bit from 2006 so far this year.

[JenLee]

Originally Posted by ajf131

Hmmm...looks like St. Louis is gonna have some more company as far as dangerous cities go. Now this is something I've got to ask...out of all cities high in crime, why does the Midwest have higher crime rates overall than any other region in the nation? i'm serious...practically every large city in the Midwest is leading the top ten or twenty in crime...Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland, don't know about KC or Cincy, Indy and Columbus are the exceptions. I've never seen so much crime concentrated in a single region of a country before. The Midwest is D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S and getting moreso all the time....

Do you suppose that it might be because the Midwest is a term that covers the main part of the continental US? Seriously, people lump a HUGE portion of this country into that term; everything from the east coast to the west coast, and it's a very large and diverse area.

On that list posted by Slig just now; the way *I* read it there were all of SIX Midwestern cities listed there. Maybe it's just a perception, but it seems to me that the Midwest isn't as dangerous as you imagine it to be.

[The Icy River Vagabond]

Slig, you obviously edited that because Minneapolis is not in the top 25, here is the link. City Crime Rankings by Population Group and by the way, in my previous post, I was refering to the fbi stats that were released last week in which morgan quitno will use to compile this years ratings. Flint will be number one, St. Louis #2 and Detroit #3. As far as murder rates are concerned. Gary indiana will be #1 Detroit #2 and Flint #3