In the first part of this two-part series, we discuss the history and phenomenal rise in the rate of violent crime in the United States, particularly from the 1960s to the early 1990s. In this final article, we will explore the strong recent decline in the rate of brutal crimes in America and we will consider the top 5 most dangerous cities as ranked by the FBI in the US in 2011.
The felony crime rate in the United States skyrocketed from the turn of the 20th century until near the end of the century, rising as high as 350% in the mid-1960s, but over the past 17 years, this horrendous rate has fallen by as much as 40% since peaking in 1993. Since then, thankfully, the brutal crime rate has begun to decline. Vicious crime fell by a solid 5% between 2008 and 2009 alone. For a one-year drop after 30 years of increases, that’s quite an improved number.
In fact, 2005 was considered the best year for the reduction of violent crime in the last 3 decades. Although most aggressive crime rates have declined, there are still some extremely dangerous cities, but one striking trend is the decline in the homicide rate in the United States since the 1990s. Homicide alone fell more than 40% between 1991 and 2005. That’s practically a 40% drop in less than fifteen years.
Still, we have a long way to go when it comes to eradicating the violent crime rate in the United States, particularly in some notable cities. The appalling rate of wrongdoing in and around the United States is monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Annually, the FBI publishes a detailed report on violent crime called the Universal Crime Report based on tabulated FBI statistics. Seven types of despicable crimes are compared based on occurrences in various cities and urban areas compared to city size. For example, since New York City has more people than Baltimore, Baltimore is considered a dangerous city because more crime is committed compared to its population. Baltimore may be called Charm City, but more people in 100 are affected by senseless crime than 100 people in the Big Apple.
The most dangerous cities are determined based on the most all serious crimes combined, along with attempted crimes committed, such as attempted robbery. The offenses used to classify the scores are as follows: “Criminal homicide, including (a) murder, non-negligent manslaughter, and (b) negligent manslaughter; rape; robbery; aggravated assault; burglary; burglary-larceny; and auto theft.”
In 2011, according to the FBI report, St. Louis, Mo., Camden, NJ, Detroit, Mi., Flint, Mi. and Oakland, Ca. are the 5 most dangerous cities in the United States, from first to last. Taking a look at each city, there are some reasons why these statistics could exist today.
1. St. Louis, Missouri – St. Louis is a beautiful city in the rural Midwest located along the banks of the Mississippi River. You would think that it would be an ideal place to live. The problem is with air travel and the highway system in the United States, the old lady isn’t as active as she used to be because there isn’t enough work to go around. Jobs are scarce. East St. Louis is riddled with poverty and an extremely dangerous part of the city for that very reason. It is one of the most aggressive per capita 5-mile territories in the US, as most mills and factories have closed, leaving strip clubs, prostitution, and drug dealing as primary vocations. Even the Busch Beer plants, a staple of the St. Louis economy for many decades, have been sold to a foreign company. While the economy in St. Louis has declined over the past 20 years as companies have moved business from the lesser Mississippi River to larger cities with better access to the east and west coasts, the crime rate in St. Louis has risen steadily. went up, making this the most dangerous city in America.
2. Camden, NJ – Camden, NJ? How is it possible that such a small town considered an ideal place for so many commuters who work in New York and Philadelphia is the second most dangerous city in the United States? How could a city once teeming with country clubs turn so violent in less than a decade, working its way up the annual lists of dangerous cities? Perhaps because they cut their police force in half due to the economic collapse that has engulfed this country in recent years. Firing more than 150 police officers at one time had a direct and immediate impact on the violent crime rate. The police force was literally cut in half, although the population continues to grow. The city clearly has not had the tax revenue to pay for an adequate police force per capita. Fewer cops on the road means more opportunities for criminals to strike, and that had been the case as Camden rocketed into the top five after failing to rank in the top fifty most violent cities in America before the reduction in police force. Next time you see that man in blue, don’t laugh at him while he’s eating his donut, and be thankful he’s there!
3. Detroit, Mich. and number 4. Flint, My. they are closely linked to each other. As we well know, heinous crime, poverty, and unemployment often go hand in hand. Michigan has been devastated by the economic collapse as the auto industry has lost capacity. Many foreign cars have entered the Big 3 (GM, Ford, and Chrysler), and many plants have closed in response. The need for American cars has diminished considerably. Due to the economic crisis, these cities are ravaged by economic problems, and the high school dropout rate and violent crime rate have skyrocketed in large part because of this. The big three even required a federal bailout from the federal government. Certainly laid off autoworkers and the many businesses that depended on their income have been affected. As the trickle-down effect of the collapse of the Big 3 has devastated Michigan’s major cities, Flint and Detroit have become two of the largest crime capitals in the United States.
5. Oakland, Calif. – Once again, there is a lot of poverty in and around Oakland. This is due to both the economy in general and the fact that San Francisco is so close and that city attracts more businesses and wealthy residents. On top of that, there is an extremely high volume of gang violence in most big California cities; Compton is one of the 10 most violent cities in the United States for this very reason. Add in racial profiling and you have the fifth most dangerous city in the United States on an almost annual basis. Oakland has been on this list for many years and has ranked high for several decades. The city apparently prides itself on its overall brutal nature. The Hells Angels roamed for many years in the late ’60s and early ’70s due to Oakland’s tough reputation. Fans of The Raiders, Oakland’s NFL team, are widely known for their physically aggressive treatment of visiting fans of opposing teams. They even have the Black Hole at the Oakland Coliseum where thousands of fans dress up in bloody and violent costumes to intimidate other fans and other teams. Many unspeakable atrocities have been committed in that stadium at Raiders games and in the parking lots surrounding the Coliseum.
All things considered, at least the United States is moving in the right direction when it comes to the rate of violent crime. Aggressive crime is, and probably will be, a major problem in this country for many years to come. Every election season, we hear politicians discuss heinous crime in America and how it should be stopped and combated, but there is still too much brutal crime in this country and the cities are the worst, but something must be working. A 40% decline in 17 years is certainly an impressive start. We must all continue to work to reduce heinous wrongdoing. We have to be vigilant and do our part to lower the rate of violent crime in the United States. The next time you feel aggravated by traffic, don’t make fun of another driver. Take a deep breath. It may not be easy, but we all know it’s the right thing to do. If we all try, perhaps in the future the only violent act we read about in the newspapers will be an end to dangerous crime in big cities.
