Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
NYC isn't safe. NYC cops also "disappear" or downgrade crimes a good bit to make it seem safer, given it is seen as America's top city.
NYC IS safe, especially if we're comparing it to 20-40 years ago. Giuliani really cleaned it up. Times Square for example used to be pretty terrible, with hookers hanging around as well believe it or not - look at it now. One of the most well known, popular, visited tourist attractions in the world, let alone country.
Do you have proof that NYC cops make crime disappear to make the rate seem better? NYC cops are some of the best city cops in the country, and probably the world, it is a leading police force. They are honorable and loyal. I don't believe they would mislead statistics. Plus, I live in the region, watch NYC news every night and always see crimes reported. Crime happens, but it's a major city. Fact is, NYC's crime rate is actually very low now.
I have a hard time lumping Detroit in with other eastern cities because it's really in a class by itself when it comes to public safety.
There are specific economic reasons why it is the way it is. Other cities, at least, have managed to keep themselves out of bankruptcy (NYC is an exception, but it came back better than ever) and are able to take care of basic services.
Detroit's public safety apparatus is nearly non existent. In a lot of ways, it deserves its rep for being unsafe. Other cities can figure out how to get their 911 system to work (imagine first responders responding in a timely fashion - and - more basically, answering your call) and pay for updated police/fire/EMT vehicles and gear. Rape kits in Wayne County don't get processed because of a lack of money and people to do it. Also, political corruption sucks up a lot of money as well. Did you hear about the ex-mayor going to jail? Wayne county is known for cronyism when it comes to politics as well.
That said, areas of Detroit have come back in big way and are cleaned up. It's a huge deal that Meijer (regional grocery chain) and Whole Foods now have stores in the city. Detroit is really night/day different with the problems that it has to face in comparison to other cities.
To actually answer the question, Western cities seem safer because there are less people. Also, people know that Westerners don't have the same qualms about having guns than Easterners. The culture is simply a lot different in Western states. If someone from NYC (and all they knew was NYC life) were to plop down somewhere in Montana or New Mexico, they'd be in for a culture shock because the "big city" in these states is nothing compared to NYC or other cities on the East Coast.
To put this into context, more than 180 million people live in the eastern U.S. - east of the Mississippi River. That is the majority of this country's population.
By contrast, only 71 million people live in the western U.S., most of them in California. The majority of the west is sparsely populated and largely uninhabitable. It's good to keep this in mind.
The honest, non PC answer is "fewer blacks". Sad but true. It isn't nice to say, but crime is highly correlated with % African American and there are relatively few African Americans in the West.
But overall, the differences are slight between East and West. If you control for race crime is actually somewhat higher in the West.
The honest, non PC answer is "fewer blacks". Sad but true. It isn't nice to say, but crime is highly correlated with % African American and there are relatively few African Americans in the West.
But overall, the differences are slight between East and West. If you control for race crime is actually somewhat higher in the West.
You are correct and the cities in the West that do have a lot of blacks like Oakland rank in the top five of most dangerous cities in the country. Having few blacks helps the West for sure.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
