Most dangerous cities in America.

[tombogan03884]

The basic story is long winded. I took the list at the end and added notes from Wiki as to which party controls it.

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/17/12172808-the-most-dangerous-cities-in-america?chromedomain=usnews

1. Flint, Mich.

     Violent crimes per 1,000: 23.4
     Population: 102,357
     2011 murders: 52
     Median income: $22,672
     Unemployment rate: 18.9 percent

According to the FBI examined, no city with more than 100,000 residents had a higher violent crime rate than Flint. In 2011, there were 2,392 incidents of violent crime in Flint, which has a population just above 100,000. That same year, there were just 1,246 violent crimes in all 10 of the safest cities in America -- which have 13 times as many residents as Flint among them. Flint has the second-highest murder rate and the highest rates of aggravated assault, burglary and arson in the nation. According to Flint Mayor Dayne Walling: “there are too many guns on the street and it’s easy for individuals with evil motives to take another human being’s life.” Though the violent crime has long been a problem in Flint, in 2010 the city laid off 20 of its 140 police officers, a decision that diminished both the police’s street presence and response times to crime.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint,_Michigan#Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 124,943 people, 48,744 households, and 30,270 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,714.9 per square mile (1,434.5/km²). There were 55,464 housing units at an average density of 1,649.1 per square mile (636.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.27% Black or African American, 41.39% White, 0.64% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 3.14% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 7.2% were of German and 5.6% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English and 2.5% Spanish as their first language.

As of the 2010 census, there were 102,434 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city residents was 56.6% black or African American; 37.4% White; 0.5% Asian; and 3.9% from two or more races. A total of 3.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[32] Non-Hispanic Whites were 35.7% of the population in 2010,[32] compared to 70.1% in 1970.[33]
Politics

Most politicians are affiliated with the Democratic party despite the city's elections being nonpartisan.[42] In 2006, Flint was the 10th most liberal city in the United States, according to a nationwide study by the non-partisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research which examined the voting patterns of 237 cities with a population over 100,000. Flint placed just after San Francisco (9) and before Seattle (16) and New York City (21).[60]


2. Detroit, Mich.

     Violent crimes per 1,000: 21.4
     Population: 713,239
     2011 murders: 344
     Median income: $25,787
     Unemployment rate: 19.9 percent

Long regarded as one of the poorest cities in the U.S., with a 32.3 percent poverty rate and nearly 20 percent unemployment in 2010, Detroit has the second-highest violent crime rate in the country. Homicide increased by 11 percent in 2011, while robbery and aggravated assault are fourth and second highest in the country, respectively. Nonviolent crime is also an issue, with burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson rates in the top 10 rankings in the country. In response to an 18 percent decrease in the Detroit police budget, which will result in the elimination of 380 positions through attrition and early retirement, the city has begun taking steps to decrease police funding by introducing “Virtual Precincts.” The plan, which closes police stations between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m, requires citizens to report non-emergency crime to a call center, and frees up more patrol officers to respond to 911 emergency calls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit

As of the 2010 Census, there were 713,777 people, 269,445 households, and 162,924 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,144.3 people per square mile (1,986.2/km²). There were 349,170 housing units at an average density of 2,516.5 units per square mile (971.6/km²). The census reported that the city had 82.7% African American (82.1% non- Hispanic black), 10.6% White (7.8% non-Hispanic white), 1.1% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.0% other races, 2.2% two or more races. In addition, 6.8% of the population self-identified as Hispanic or Latino, of any race, mainly made up of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans.[137] Additionally, Detroit has one of the U.S.'s largest concentrations of Hmong people.[138] After World War II many people from Appalachia settled in Detroit. Because the Detroit community negatively perceived the Appalachians, they formed insular communities, and their children gained southern accents.[139]

Politically, the city consistently supports the Democratic Party in state and national elections (local elections are nonpartisan). According to a study released by the Bay Area Center for Voting Research, Detroit is the most liberal large city in America,[143] measuring only the percentage of city residents who voted for the Democratic Party.[144]


3. St. Louis, Mo.

     Violent crimes per 1,000: 18.6
     Population: 320,454
     2011 murders: 113
     Median income: $32,688
     Unemployment rate: 11.7 percent

Although the total number of murders in the city has decreased by 31 since 2010, crime in St. Louis did not improve overall last year. Violent crime rates in St. Louis have risen dramatically, from 17.5 to 18.6 cases per 1,000 people. And the city’s murder rate is still the fourth highest in the nation, its robbery rate is the fifth highest in the nation and its aggravated assault rate is third-highest in the nation. Despite these troubling facts, the St. Louis Police Department recently faced potentially drastic budget cuts that may require the elimination of 100 street-patrolling officer positions through attrition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis,_Missouri#Demographics

The racial makeup of the city of St. Louis was approximately 49.2% African American, 43.9% White (42.2% Non-Hispanic White), 2.9% Asian, 0.3% Native American/Alaska Native, and 2.4% reporting two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.[36]

The Democratic Party has dominated St. Louis city politics for decades. The city has not had a Republican mayor since 1949 and the last time a Republican was elected to another city-wide office was in the 1970s. As of 2006, 27 of the city's 28 Aldermen are Democrats.

4. Oakland, Calif.

     Violent crimes per 1,000: 16.8
     Population: 395,317
     2011 murders: 104
     Median income: $49,190
     Unemployment rate: 15.6 percent


Oakland historically has been among the most crime-ridden cities in California, with a violent crime rate this year of 16.8 per 1,000 people. There were 14 more murders in 2011 than in 2010, causing Oakland to maintain the ninth-highest murder rate in the country two years in a row. Oakland is the number one city for both robbery and motor vehicle theft rates in the country. Oakland city councilmember Desley Brooks, who wants to allocate $11 million in revenue to the police force, acknowledges the increased violent crime, saying, “we cannot ignore that we have had an increase in violent crime, and so we cannot continue to do the same thing the same way and expect that it’s going to be a different result.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland,_California#2010

The racial makeup of Oakland was 134,925 (34.5%) White, 109,471 (28.0%) African American, 3,040 (0.8%) Native American, 65,811 (16.8%) Asian (8.7% Chinese, 2.2% Vietnamese, 1.6% Filipino, 0.7% Cambodian, 0.7% Laotian, 0.6% Korean, 0.5% Japanese, 0.5% Indian), 2,222 (0.6%) Pacific Islander (0.3% Tongan), 53,378 (13.7%) from other races, and 21,877 (5.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 99,068 persons (25.4%). Among the Hispanic population, 18.1% are Mexican, 1.9% Salvadoran, 1.3% Guatemalan, and 0.7% Puerto Rican.
Government
 • Type    Mayor-Council
 • Mayor    Jean Quan (D)
 • Senate    Loni Hancock (D)
 • Assembly    Nancy Skinner (D)
Sandré Swanson (D)
Mary Hayashi (D)
 • U.S. Congress    Barbara Lee (D) (CA-09)

5. Memphis, Tenn.

     Violent crimes per 1,000: 15.8
     Population: 652,725
     2011 murders: 117
     Median income: $37,045
     Unemployment rate: 11.1 percent

In 2011, Memphis defied the national trend of declining crime rates in major U.S. cities. The rate of violent crimes per 1,000 people increased, from 15.4 to 15.8. This was the product of increases in murders, which rose from 89 to 117, and aggravated assault incidents, which rose by 100 cases. A rising unemployment rate, which grew 1.2 percent to 11.1 percent in 2011, likely has not helped to reduce criminal behavior. With a current budget deficit of $45 million, Mayor Wharton says he may need to consider “taking boots off the street,” by laying off members of the police force in the near future.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis,_Tennessee

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the racial composition of Memphis was:[20]

    Black or African American: 62.6%
    White: 31.7% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 29.5%)
    Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 5.0%
    Asian: 1.7%
    Native American: 0.2%
    Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
    Some other race: 2.7%
    Two or more races: 1.2%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Memphis,_Tennessee

Memphis politics have been very racially—and ideologically—polarized for many years. Most whites have supported the Republican Party since the 1960s, while most blacks have remained loyal to the Democratic Party.

A major influence in Memphis' black politics is the Ford family of funeral directors, whose political prominence dates to the Crump era. The best-known member of this family is Harold Ford, Sr., who represented most of Memphis in the U.S. House from 1975 to 1997. His brother, John, was a state senator for 30 years, but in 2007 was convicted on federal bribery charges in the Tennessee Waltz scandal.

I left off at 5 as the information about party affiliation got harder to find.

[philw]

seems to be a common link there..   

[tombogan03884]

seems to be a common link there..   

Yes.
Every one of them is Dem dominated.

[crusader rabbit]

Something fishy here, Tom.  You left off the MOST dangerous city in America--Washington D.C.

As Will Rogers said:  No man is safe when Congress is in session.

Crusader

[tombogan03884]

Something fishy here, Tom.  You left off the MOST dangerous city in America--Washington D.C.

As Will Rogers said:  No man is safe when Congress is in session.

Crusader

I didn't MAKE the list, I just evaluated it.
In my opinion forced sodomy on 310 million people should blow Flint out of the water with out even counting the crimes of non politicians.
Oh yeah. DC is also run by Dems.
Go figure.

[Sponsor]

[MikeBjerum]

The similarity between all dangerous or safe areas is population density.  The more people you squeeze into a small space the more violent it becomes.  Watch all classes.  Even high income socialites become angry and bitter when squeezed.  Is it any wonder that someone that does nothing to better themselves would resort to crime and violence when placed in the same setting?  If it is found that constant noise is a good way to break the will and extract information from captives, why would it not change the personalities of people living in it day in and day out?

[tombogan03884]

The similarity between all dangerous or safe areas is population density.  The more people you squeeze into a small space the more violent it becomes.  Watch all classes.  Even high income socialites become angry and bitter when squeezed.  Is it any wonder that someone that does nothing to better themselves would resort to crime and violence when placed in the same setting?  If it is found that constant noise is a good way to break the will and extract information from captives, why would it not change the personalities of people living in it day in and day out?

That doesn't work M58,
You'll have to do the research but I bet you will find the combinations are
High unemployment, high crime, strict gun laws = Dems
more jobs, less crime lenient gun laws = Republican
Here's a list of comparable size cities.

http://www.morganquitno.com/cit05pop.htm

[MikeBjerum]

I speak only from observations of people in these settings and information from those trying to fix these problems.

[tombogan03884]

It's simple enough, cut the social crap and cut the pay of city employees, ( like Scot Walker )
That way you can cut taxes without laying off Cops, Fire Fighters and teachers.
Lower taxes draw industry which creates work thereby lowering unemployment.
Then make your gun laws as lenient as State law will allow.
It doesn't take them long to figure out that you do not get shot working, but you very well might robbing.

[jaybet]

I'm surprised Philly wasn't in the top 5. Or Camden, NJ for that matter.