Notes on "America's Most Dangerous Cities"

The online blog site, 24/7 came out with their annual list of "America's Most Dangerous Cities" at the end of last month, and it's pretty interesting. Their data is compiled from the FBIs own list. There some interesting points in and on it, worth noting.

Let's start with a bit of their overall data:

24/7 Wall St. reviewed violent crime rates in major U.S. cities from the FBI’s 2015 Uniform Crime Report. Violent crime includes all offenses involving force or threat of force and are broken into four categories: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. For every 100,000 U.S. residents, 372 of these crimes were committed in 2015.
Then, some notes.

First, unfortunately---and no surprise, really---Kansas City is on it. Second thing to note about it, we were in the top ten, too.

10. Kansas City, Missouri
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,417.3
> 2015 murders: 109
> Poverty rate: 19.4%
> Unemployment rate: 5.5%

While the nationwide violent crime rate rose by 3.9% in 2015, the increase in Kansas City was far more dramatic. With homicide and aggravated assault rates surging, the city reported a 14.4% spike in violent crime last year. Crime in the city is up even more from five years ago. The city’s violent crime rate increased by 21.2% from 2011 through 2015, even as the nationwide rate declined by 0.7% over that period.

Not good.

In fact, we, Kansas City, were worse on this list than Washington, DC (15), Indianapolis, Indiana (13) and Stockton, California (12).  That hurts.

Next thing to note about the list is that Missouri gets hit pretty hard. We are on the list three different times.

Then on to this note from the list, our own Springfield, Missouri, "Queen City of the Ozarks", followed as close as could be at number 11 on the list.

11. Springfield, Missouri
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,355.6
> 2015 murders: 10
> Poverty rate: 26.4%
> Unemployment rate: 4.3%

Crime rates tend to be higher in economically depressed areas where opportunities are scarce. In Springfield, Missouri, more than one-quarter of area residents live in poverty, one of the highest poverty rates in the country. After spiking by 73.2% over the five years through 2015 — the second highest increase of any major U.S. city — Springfield’s violent crime rate is the 11th highest in the country. In 2015, there were 179 rapes for every 100,000 residents, the highest incidence of rape in the country.

In fact, along with Missouri's Springfield, there were two more on the list. Springfields Illinois, at number 23 and Massachussetts at 21. I guess that all comes from it being such a common name in this country, maybe.

Next note, right next door in Arkansas, little old Little Rock comes in at number 9, higher and so, worse than Kansas City. Who'd have guessed?

Which brings us to our last point (points?) and the highest, worst ranking of all the most dangerous cities in America this year, at this time.  It ain't good, Missouri.

1. St. Louis, Missouri
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,817.1
> 2015 murders: 188
> Poverty rate: 27.8%
> Unemployment rate: 6.1%

Including 188 homicides, there were 5,762 violent crimes in St. Louis in 2015. Adjusting for population, the city’s murder and violent crime rates, at 59 murders and 1,817 per 100,000 city residents, are each the highest in the country. The number of violent crimes reported in St. Louis increased by 7.7% last year, faster than the national uptick of 3.9%. Over the last five years, however, the incidence of violent crime is down by 3.2%.

Yes sir, good ol' St. Lou.  

Not Detroit. Heck, not even Chicago.  In fact, check out the list, folks. Chicago isn't even on the list (it's too large a city for this study).

It's not looking good for us, danger-wise, Missourians. Heck, remember this study, that came out in 2012?

Missouri: 

Ranked one of the "Most Depressing States"

We have to work on our safety and image, folks. These are some pretty awful lists.

Put the phone down

When driving, please ignore your phone.  Put it down, turn it off, do whatever you have to do.





Just drive the car.

Thank you.


Take the pledge now:  It Can Wait: Texting & Driving

The Trayvon Martin tragedy and debacle, explained

Once again, Jon Stewart, the social and political observer and humorist brings terrific insight to a current topic:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The simple fact still remains, George Zimmerman is the known shooter and killer of Trayvon Martin. He needs to be arrested, charged with the crime and tried in a court of law to discern innocence or guilt. It's just that simple. No emotionalism, just let's get to the facts and move on.

Sure, nothing in life is fair but...

Two stories today from The Kansas City Star in the same column, the "In Brief" group on page A10.

First this:

A Lawrence man has been sentenced to six months in jail for driving drunk and killing a woman riding her bicycle last year.

Okay.

Then, this:

A Kansas City man who sucker-punched a grandmother must spend at least 21 years in prison.

True. Both true. You can see for yourself. Go get the paper.

Is that not bizarre?

If you're drunk, driving and kill someone, you get six months in prison.

Hit a grandmother and break her jaw (I didn't show that but hey, it's not manslaughter) and you go away for 21 years.

Don't even try to explain that to me.


Try to have a great weekend, folks.

Link to original post:
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/21/1961823_21-years-given-to-21-year-old.html?storylink=omni_popular

Update/addendum: The driver, above, also did a "hit and run" so besides killing the lady, he also drove away.

And he got 6 months.

Right.

That's fair.

Right?

Great insights

If you haven't read Midtown Miscreant's latest post , you need to.

Go.

Do it.

Now.

Then, read his Part 1 of this thought process from yesterday .

And thank him.

This from a "liberal" who's supposed to want people to "get off easy", right?

Manslaughter?

Oh, hell no.

Scott Roeder, the conservative, right-wing, anti-abortion freak who took the law into his own hands, decided Dr. George Tiller should be murdered and then drove 3 hours down I-35 to Wichita to do just that--murder Dr. Tiller--may only get a manslaughter charge for this gross, unjustifiable, psychotic act.

I say psychotic because you have to have lost a touch with reality when you select to murder someone, for starters, and then decide you'll drive 3 hours down the turnpike to do it.

It's disappointing and surprising to me that the Judge in the case, Judge Warren Wilbert, is going to allow the defense the opportunity to consider letting the dirtbag Roeder off with a mere manslaughter charge.

Mind you, the jury may well find this guy guilty of first degree murder, as they ought, but the judge should have thrown this option out, right off, and for two reasons.

First, abortion is legal in the US, like it or not, and has been for decades. (Does precedent mean anything here?).

Second, there is virtually no question that Roeder killed Dr. Tiller and that he drove 3 hours, from Overland Park to do it.

If that's not premeditated, there is no such thing as premeditated murder.

And the fact that this coward Roeder shot Dr. Tiller in Tiller's church, as he was helping at the service is so gross, absurd, ironic and hypocritical it's off the charts.

Hopefully, even the religious zealouts have to see that.