Baltimore: More Violent Than Afghanistan?

A bloody battle over drug money and turf in Baltimore has prompted some strong words from the city's archbishop, reports CBS station WBZ.

"Parts of the city are very violent," said Archbishop Edwin O'Brien. "Parts of the city are as bad as Afghanistan, if not worse, as we saw this weekend."

Eighteen people were wounded in a mass shooting linked to a feud between two drug organizations. The drug-fueled violence may also have sparked several murders and a violent kidnapping, according to sources.

But is Baltimore, a city with less than a million people, worse than Afghanistan, a country with more than 30 million?

According to the Baltimore Sun, the city saw fewer killings last year than any other in the past two decades. However, data released in June show the city's homicide rate ranked the highest among the nation's cities with a population of more than 500,000. The city had 37 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2008.

Meanwhile, July has been the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan so far. At least 30 U.S. troops have died this month - two more than the toll for June 2008, which had been the deadliest month for the American force in Afghanistan.

For the record, nearly 3,800 insurgents were killed in 2008 in Afghanistan, based on figures collected by The Associated Press. So far in 2009, more than 2,310 insurgents have been killed, according to the AP count.

[xlib]

Too, too funny. When the media relished the countdown to deaths in Iraq and the point was made that cities like DC, New York, CHICAGO (the AUDACITY!!)were more violent with more deaths the left was outraged.
Now, the thug has his own little surge and he now loves General Petraeous we have this.
Too, too funny.

[gunownerdan]

More death and violence thanks to the "WAR ON DRUGS".
How many more victims must there be?
www.LEAP.cc

[mgpm-2009]

Baltimore is not a violent place, per se. It has crime like any other big city in America but is not any more violent than the others. I'm much more concerned about going into Philly than Baltimore. Baltimore is a great city, in my opinion.

[quapawsix]

And what are the police doing about it? Probability handing out traffic violations or equipment problem tickets. You know how dangerous those burnt out license plate bulbs can be.

[mysteryroche]

On behalf of all the citizens of Philly, F-U. Philly is very safe, as long as you don't go more than four blocks south of city hall or one block in any other direction.

[2ears1mouth]

What do you suggest the Baltimore Police Department do to stop a murder before it happens? Do they have a "Precrime" unit as in the movie "Minority Report"? Where they know in advance what these people are going to do before they do it? Police departments all over this country have their hands tied on this matter. We have to let criminals goes when time is served, too many guns on the street and in the hands of criminals. About the only thing we can do is try to get murder out of the "hearts" of these people, and that won't be easy.

[fleabag75]

Your stats are comparing a city to a country?????? Because there were more deaths in the COUNTRY of Afghanistan as was in Baltimore you think that proves a point? Shouldn't you compare Baltimore to maybe Kabul???

[docpeter1953]

Not really.

You compare the per capita murder rate and not the total murder rate.

EX: if you have a city with 500,000 citizens and the murder rate is 37 per 100,000 then you can expect to see 185 murders (give or take a few).

It is the per capita murder rate that had Waco Texas with the highest murder rate in the country during the mid 1970s.

[xlib]

That wouldn't fit the template.