St. Louis Incorrectly Rated America's Most Dangerous City (Kansas City, O'Fallon: home, subsidized)

[BoomBoxing]

^Nobody is saying St. Louis doesn't have a high crime rate. Why do people have such a hard time understanding that you can criticize this study while acknowledging that crime is too high?

You are absolutely correct with everything you say, but one need not be a high level statistician to see how awful this study is. And it does nothing to lower violence or crime rates in the areas that it ranks as most dangerous, which is the most important thing we can do. In fact, I would say it does the opposite. How is St. Louis supposed to get people to move here and be a part of the amazing urban revitalization going on here when this ridiculous study comes out and scares people away? The people at CQ really have no shame...nor do they have any interest in making these cities any safer. They want to get some publicity and sell some books.

[STL88]

I'm fine with criticism of this report but some people, including our city leaders, only say "But if we could include the county we wouldn't be dangerous", which is avoiding the problem that the CITY has. I have noticed that a lot of people, not on here but on other forums and in person, get these studies confused with one another. For instance someone I was speaking with thought our ranking was so bad because it included East St. Louis, and I had to inform them of the different studies and our ranking on the Metro one. Some people act like the city crime rate is used to represent the entire region, once again incorrect thinking. As for the Mayor and his staff, he shouldn't worry about the region's ranking, he is responsible for the city limits and it's residents only, so focus on the happenings inside of the city limits. There needs to be public statements of condemnation from our leaders for the brazen acts of violence so the residents can have some faith and work with their alderman and higher ups to come up with ways to treat the violence and other contributing social factors that play into all of this. I for one would love to drive around parts of north St. Louis and see where my grandpa and other ancestors grew up in the first half of the 20th century. But I don't see that happening any time soon.

[BoomBoxing]

^I agree with you 100%. I said something similar on another forum. Our mayor, police chief, and alderman need to be more vocal about exactly what it is they are doing to reign in the crime.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by STL88

I for one would love to drive around parts of north St. Louis and see where my grandpa and other ancestors grew up in the first half of the 20th century. But I don't see that happening any time soon.

There is no neighborhood in St. Louis I would be afraid to drive through during the day. I think it's good to get out and really see everything. That makes you want to create change even more.

[STL88]

I agree with getting out and seeing stuff, but I'd still avoid quite a few neighborhoods when doing so. I love city life and the architecture and can envision what the city looked like at one time and what it could look like again, then get sad at the current state of some parts of the city.

[aragx6]

^We used to drive around in just about the hoodiest hoods Chicago had to offer (which were significantly scarier than any I've seen in St. Louis) and never had any problems other than a harsh look or two.

I'm definitely not calling you a baby or anything, just saying that, in my mind anyway, there's no area of St. Louis I would not drive through during the day.

[stlcitygirl]

^
I'm with you, there are no neighborhoods that I would be scared to drive through during the day.

[MUTGR]

Originally Posted by stlcitygirl

^
I'm with you, there are no neighborhoods that I would be scared to drive through during the day.

Me neither, but there are quite a number that I would not want to get a flat tire in or have some other type of mechanical malfunction in during the day and be stranded, even for a short time, during the day.

[flynavyj]

^I'm with you on that one. I got a flat tire on 64 Westbound just prior to the poplar street bridge...I was not very happy at the thought of having a breakdown in East St. Louis, but I was even more unhappy about it happening in a location that doesn't have a shoulder for me to safely pull off in to change the tire...

[masterwood89]

Originally Posted by STL88

I for one would love to drive around parts of north St. Louis and see where my grandpa and other ancestors grew up in the first half of the 20th century. But I don't see that happening any time soon.

What I did when I first got my car and started driving around North City was I broke down North City into small sections and memorized every major road and which direction they went so just in case something did happen I knew a way out of that part of the city. After three years of driving around North City many of my prior negative sterotypes went out the window and realized that not all of North City is dangerous.

What I'm really trying to say is just if your skeptical about driving around just have a plan, memorize a way in and a way out and you'll be fine or just drive through at 6 in the morning when everybody is sleeping.