Study Calls Detroit Most Dangerous City

Controversial Analysis Of FBI Stats Pushes Motor City Past St. Louis

(AP)  In another blow to the Motor City's tarnished image, Detroit pushed past St. Louis to become the nation's most dangerous city, according to a private research group's controversial analysis, released Sunday, of annual FBI crime statistics.

The study drew harsh criticism even before it came out. The American Society of Criminology launched a pre-emptive strike Friday, issuing a statement attacking it as "an irresponsible misuse" of crime data.

The 14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America" was published by CQ Press, a unit of Congressional Quarterly Inc. It is based on the FBI's Sept. 24 crime statistics report.

The report looked at 378 cities with at least 75,000 people based on per-capita rates for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft. Each crime category was considered separately and weighted based on its seriousness, CQ Press said.

Last year's crime leader, St. Louis, fell to No. 2. Another Michigan city, Flint, ranked third, followed by Oakland Calif.; Camden, N.J.; Birmingham, Ala.; North Charleston, S.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Richmond, Calif.; and Cleveland, which was ranked the 10th most dangerous city.

Three other Ohio cities made the Top 25 list: Youngstown was No. 15, Cincinnati was No. 16 and Dayton was No. 19.

The study ranked Mission Viejo, Calif., as the safest U.S. city, followed by Clarkstown, N.Y.; Brick Township, N.J.; Amherst, N.Y.; and Sugar Land, Texas. Parma, a suburban Cleveland city, was ranked 23rd.

CQ Press spokesman Ben Krasney said details of the weighting system were proprietary. It was compiled by Kathleen O'Leary Morgan and Scott Morgan, whose Morgan Quitno Press published it until its acquisition by CQ Press.

The study assigns a crime score to each city, with zero representing the national average. Detroit got a score of 407, while St. Louis followed at 406. The score for Mission Viejo, in affluent Orange County, was minus 82.

Detroit was pegged the nation's murder capital in the 1980s and has lost nearly 1 million people since 1950, according to the Census Bureau. Downtown sports stadiums and corporate headquarters - along with the redevelopment of the riverfront of this city of 919,000 - have slowed but not reversed the decline. Officials have said crime reports don't help.

Detroit Deputy Police Chief James Tate had no immediate comment on the report. But the mayor of 30th-ranked Rochester, N.Y. - an ex-police chief himself - said the study's authors should consider the harm that the report causes.

"What I take exception to is the use of these statistics and the damage they inflict on a number of these cities," said Mayor Robert Duffy, chairman of the Criminal and Social Justice Committee for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The rankings "do groundless harm to many communities," said Michael Tonry, president of the American Society of Criminology.

"They also work against a key goal of our society, which is a better understanding of crime-related issues by both scientists and the public," Tonry said.

Critics also complain that numbers don't tell the whole story because of differences among cities.

"You're not comparing apples and oranges; you're comparing watermelons and grapes," said Rob Casey, who heads the FBI section that puts out the Uniform Crime Report that provides the data for the Quitno report.

The FBI posted a statement on its Web site criticizing such use of its statistics.

"These rough rankings provide no insight into the numerous variables that mold crime in a particular town, city, county, state, or region," the FBI said. "Consequently, they lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting communities and their residents."

Doug Goldenberg-Hart, acquisitions editor at CQ Press, said that the rankings are imperfect, but that the numbers are straightforward. Cities at the top of the list would not be there unless they ranked poorly in all six crime categories, he said.

"The idea that people oppose it, it's kind of blaming the messenger," Goldenberg-Hart said. "It's not coming to terms with the idea that crime is a persistent problem in our society."

The report "helps concerned Americans learn how their communities fare in the fight against crime," CQ Press said in a statement. "The first step in making our cities and states safer is to understand the true magnitude of their crime problems. This will only be achieved through straightforward data that all of us can use and understand."

The study excluded Chicago, Minneapolis, and other Illinois and Minnesota cities because of incomplete data.

[iceman_1960]

"The notorious "Iceman", a hired hitman, Richard Klukinski admitted to killing, murdering, etc. over 200, etc. etc."
- Posted by kailumego1 at 06:27 PM : Nov 19, 2007

I was framed !!!!

[earlyprophet]

RON PAUL WINS NATIONAL ZOGBY POLL
The results of a nationwide telephone poll, announced by Zogby on November 19th, reveals that a sizeable majority of Americans are looking to vote for a candidate who protects liberty; who wants to shrink government; and who wants to immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq - all positions taken by Texas Congressman Ron Paul. As part of a blind, spread poll commissioned by Jones Productions, respondents were provided with descriptions of four different candidates and asked to choose who they would vote for based on each one''s attributes and political platform. 32.8% of pollees chose Ron Paul, 18.6% chose Rudy Giuliani, 12.6% chose Fred Thompson, while only 15.1% chose Mitt Romney. The results clearly illustrate that the country is crying out for Ron Paul, which is why mainstream media has launched a PR offensive to marginalize his campaign accomplishments and suppress the Congressman''s name recognition. The sample used for the poll had mainly never or rarely used Web sites popular with Ron Paul supporters, such as You Tube, MySpace and Facebook, showing that if those types of Internet users had been more fairly represented, the numbers would be even more in favor of the Congressman. In a seperate question, over 49% of pollees said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who would begin an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Zogby indicated that, due to the high level of interest in the poll, they will be issuing a press release on Nov 20th.

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by ianlou at 07:49 PM : Nov 19, 2007
+ report abuse

************

last, in this country there is not excuse to be poor..and worse excuse to blame being ''black'' for being poor and the call to commit a crime..

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by ianlou at 07:49 PM : Nov 19, 2007
+ report abuse

************

you are making it sound like being ''black'' is a liability in the job market. well then the ''affirmative action'' is not working. The key to be not in the ''unemployed'' bracket is to have the necessary skills that is needed in the market. Education in this country and even in detroit is FREE and pretty much give more to blacks and minority than to whites or asians..so no excuse for that.

There are several races that started in the ''poverty'' level..we have the irish..the germans..asians..south americans..but the difference here is that they refuse to hang on to that "i am black and my ancestors were slaves so you owe me" attitude. The road out of poverty is a long tidieous journey that will last several generations. I know 2 generations of asians who are very sucessfull stories and all other non-white races..how many generations has it been since Lincoln freed the slaves?

Get some education, work hard, have integrity and see how your children would benefit from that..are those the qualities you find from most Detroit black community??

[earlyprophet]

RON PAUL: A GUN OWNER''S BEST FRIEND
Like Ron Paul, I share our Founders'' belief that in a free society each citizen must have the right to keep and bear arms. They ratified the Second Amendment knowing that this right is the guardian of every other right, and they all would be horrified by the proliferation of unconstitutional legislation that prevents Law-abiding Americans from exercising this right. Congressman, Paul has always supported the Second Amendment and these are some of the Bills he introduced in the current Congress to help restore respect for it: H.R. 1096 includes provisions repealing the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Federal Firearms License Reform Act, two invasive and unconstitutional Bills. H.R. 1897 would end the ban on carrying a firearm in the National Park System, restoring Americans'' ability to protect themselves in potentially hazardous situations. H.R. 3305 would allow pilots and specially assigned personnel to carry firearms in order to protect airline passengers, possibly preventing future 9/11-style attacks. H.R. 1146 would end our membership in the United Nations, protecting us from their attempts to tax our guns or disarm us entirely. In the past, he introduced legislation to repeal the so-called assault weapons ban before its 2004 sunset, and he has opposed all attempts to reinstate it. Congessman, Paul also recently opposed H.R. 2640, which would allow government-appointed psychiatrists to ban veterans experiencing any form of PTSD.

[earlyprophet]

WERE HAVING A TEA PARTY! YOU''RE INVITED
As we all know, freedom isn''t free in this country. Therefore, in the wake of our successful fundraising event of November 5th, in which we all came together to raise $4.2 million dollars for Ron Paul''s campaign, we''ve set yet another date for an even bigger fundraiser. This one will take place during on December 16th: a very important date for people who love freedom and hate tyranny to ring the Liberty Bell, and let our sold-out, globalist, political ****** and their mainstream media enablers know that good Americans are mad as hell, and that we''re not going to take it anymore. December 16th is the 224th aniversary of The Boston Tea Party: an act of protest by the American colonists against the tyranny of Great Britain where the Sons of Liberty boarded British ships and dumped crates of tea overboard into Boston Harbor. It was a key event which helped to spark the American Revolution, and we hope this event will, likewise, add additional spark to our own 21st Century political revolution to restore peace, prosperity and freedom to our Republic by helping elect a President whose record of adherance to The Constitution is unmatched by anyone in American politics. Please join us this December 16th for the largest one-day political donation event in history. Our goal is to bring together 100,000 people to donate $100 each, creating a one day donation total of $10,000,000. The time to act is now. The time for Ron Paul is NOW! TeaParty07.com

[earlyprophet]

HOPE FOR AMERICA: PRESIDENT RON PAUL

-- No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
-- No more aggressive military actions overseas
-- No more torture prisons
-- No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
-- No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
-- No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
-- No more erosion of Social Security to pay for militarization
-- No more U.N. (one world government) participation
-- No more NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO or GATT (globalist trade cartels)
-- No more North American Union (loss of U.S. sovereignty)
-- No more federal gun control laws
-- No more illegal aliens pouring-in over our country''s borders
-- No more illegal aliens allowed to roam freely in our streets
-- No more national ID cards (Real ID Act)
-- No more government invasion of your privacy
-- No more federal Laws which force you to take unwanted injections
-- No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
-- No more federal erosion of State sovereignty
-- No more unlimited federal government

They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. The Doctor is in! Find-out what CBS hides from you, and join us in this 21st Century political revolution at ronpaul2008.com

"Those who expect to reap the blessing of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine

"Ron Paul doesn''t represent your Father''s school of political thought. He represents your Founding Fathers."
- Me

[kailumego1]

gunownerdan, AMEN.

[gunownerdan]

Much of the crime and violence we have today in America is drug-related, caused by the prohibition of drugs(war on drugs) which gives drug dealers and gangs a monopoly on BILLIONS of dollars in black-market profits.
When alcohol was banned in the 1920''s, gangsters and bootleggers ruled the streets with machine guns fighting turf wars over black market profits.
It''s no different today with drug prohibition.

www.leap.cc
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

[geoffgw]

All of the history lessons are interesting, but the cause for the crime and destruction in the inner city is closely linked to the spectacular rise in births to unwed mothers. The rate has exploded among sall races, but mostly among African-Americans, the rate was about 20% in 1964 and is about 65% today. Case closed: please tell me how it''s better to start life with 2/3 less income and one less adult around. Pls tell me how it is White America''s fault that the rate exploded AFTER the major civil rights legislation passed. Please tell me how a white person is involved at the key time the decision is made to take the risk on having a child. Fix this problem and lots of other problems melt away.

[jdubs63]

They over looked my city as a very safe city to live in. Good neighborhoods, good neighbors, great police and firefighters, we don''t even have to lock our doors or windows.

[ianlou]

maybe the democrats in detroit should try something better BECAUSE IT IS NOT WORKING. Maybe a good old fashion hard work..not blaming others for thier shortcomings..is a good start.
In this country, there is no reason to be ''''poor''''.
Now, i would say its the ATTITUDE of the entire city is at fault. Too many people who excuse thier actions on poverty.
Posted by libsluvsuvs

I take it libsluvsuvs you are not Black and unemployed in the city of Detroit.
I''m guessing you are white and were raised in a middle class (or better) family, You have worked very hard for what you have and expect that if anyone does the same they too will be as comfortable as you. If this is your background, you made it home by starting your life on first base, it''s OK - so did I. (Our President was born on third base and has been bragging about the triple he hit ever since)

Please tell me that you were born a poor Black Child in the City of Detroit and made good. (Since plenty have) If not and you really believe that where and to which race you are born has absolutely no effect on your opportunities in life, than I will write off your opinion as shallow and overly simplistic thus Republican in nature.

[libsluvsuvs]

Detroit, like many American cities, are controlled by Democrats because Republicans could afford to move out a long time ago. Detroit is the poorest city in the nation; If you are hungry and homeless which party would you support?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ianlou at 04:11 PM : Nov 19, 2007
+ report abuse
*****************

maybe the democrats in detroit should try something better BECAUSE IT IS NOT WORKING. Maybe a good old fashion hard work..not blaming others for thier shortcomings..is a good start.
In this country, there is no reason to be ''poor''.

Now, i would say its the ATTITUDE of the entire city is at fault. Too many people who excuse thier actions on poverty.

[kailumego1]

The problem with any major metropolitan city: poverty, lack of education, racial tension, distrust in the government, social apathy, and lack of self-determination, speaking particularly of blacks, most have brought into the "self-fulfilling prophecy" laid down through Eurocentric discourse, which implies the African/black race is inferior.

So, instead of proving Western Europeans/a global society/Euro-Americans wrong, many have succumbed foolishly to this norm of inferiority leaving those HELL bent on succeeding, notwithstanding, Eurocentric propaganda to rationalize and make unjustifiable excuses for their behavior.

Arrogance and ignorance, that''s what many white folks have adhered too, they forget it was the craftsmanship and architecture of slave labor they built this country, South America, the Caribbean Islands, etc.

Likewise, it was/is African resources that has buttressed European and white corporate America''s wealth, rubber from the Congo''s jungle, cocoa from West Africa, diamonds from South Africa, gold and ivory from West Africa [Ivory Coast], oil, uranium, magnesium, zinc, iron, etc.Western Europeans and white America have profited on the "blood and labor" of the Africans and blacks, while millions continue to live in abject poverty, under the leadership of ruthless dictators and warlords, succumb by HIV/AIDS, and thwarted by neo-colonialism.

[kailumego1]

As whites posting here make insidious remarks bolstering their grandiosity, they forget a time when Eastern European immigrants were treated tandem to blacks.

They lived in a flotsam of abject poverty, overcrowded neighborhoods with poor sanitary conditions, high murder, rape, and other felonious activity, as well as high-unemployment, watch "The Departed or Gangs of New York".

Ah, but they can pontificate now, they can point their self-righteous finger and castigate, but it was only yesterday when large metropolitan streets were controlled by ruthless white gangs,--the "Mafia", "Purple gang", etc., the Irish, Italian, Jews, etc. all succumbed to criminal behavior, in order to survive the bitter streets.

The notorious "Iceman", a hired hitman, Richard Klukinski admitted to killing, murdering, etc. over 200, etc. etc. Dutch Schultz, Bugsy Segal, Meyer Lansky, Sam Gianconna, and the "Teflon Don", all the way to the president, J.F.Kennedy..

Your closet is filled with "skeletons", so get off your "high-horse".

[ianlou]

ianlou, you missed, Southfield also has a large middle-class black population as well.
And Dearborn isn''''t the "Utopian paradise" you''''ve tried to elude too, there is considerable crime..

I agree, what you won''t hear in the news is "Headline Blacks and Whites getting along fine in a city next to Detroit" and I used to work in Dearborn, I don''t care to live there.
I still think it''s "News" that so little negative news is generated by these two communities existing next to each other when they are trying to do no less than kill each other in the Middle East.

[kailumego1]

ianlou, you missed, Southfield also has a large middle-class black population as well.

And Dearborn isn''t the "Utopian paradise" you''ve tried to elude too, there is considerable crime..

[ianlou]

the only way this liberal controlled city can reduce this is to make ''''murder'''' legal.
Posted by libsluvsuvs

Detroit, like many American cities, are controlled by Democrats because Republicans could afford to move out a long time ago. Detroit is the poorest city in the nation; If you are hungry and homeless which party would you support?

[ianlou]

You"ve got it backwards.

It is the Iraqi "citizens" who should be given weapons and the right to carry them, to take back their communities.
The troops should come back to patrol places like Detroit.
Posted by Iceman_1960

We had troops in Detroit during the riots of 1967;
The city has been in a slow tail spin toward urban waste land status ever since.

[ianlou]

What''s Ironic is Detroit has two neighboring communities that get along fine, Dearborn, which has one of the country''s largest Arab populations and Southfield which has one of the country''s largest Jewish populations. Their schools play football against each other and the only news out of those games is Who Won.