Richmond 5th most dangerous city EVER?
by Ross Catrow
The RTD reports that the Morgan Quitno Press’s City Crime Rankings rates Richmond as the “5th most dangerous city.” Wtf?
Obviously something is going on with population groupings or per-capita or something in this study. There is no way that Richmond is more dangerous than DC. No way at all. If someone — not it — wants to figure out the exactly what the study says I’d love you for life. There is more info on their website, but it was hard to parse.
Yeah, I was a sucker and spent the $2 for the report. It doesn’t give you very much detail. It does look like they have some sort of rating system that gives the city a score. It must weight to the type of crimes we have. It looks to be all per capita for the scoring. They do break it down a little though. For example, of the Cities with over 500,000 population the ranking is as follows: Detroit, Baltimore, Washington, Memphis, Dallas, Philadelphia. We are in the next bracket, 100,000 to 499,999 population: St. Louis, Flint, MI, Richmond, Atlanta, New Orleans, Gary, IN. And then there is an under 100,000 category as well. No stats, but they say all the data is from the FBI. Maybe we can find their information.
I agree with you that it seems unlikely we would rank higher than DC, although DC still ranks pretty high. The explanation on their site is that they compare every city to the national average in six categories of violent crime. I think that means it has to be per capita, which would perhaps put us ahead of DC. Since we’re only talking about Richmond city and not the surrounding counties, I can believe that. Shoot, within the past week and a half alone, my girlfriend got assaulted and my friend got shot in a drive by…
this should clear things up.?
“The methodology for determining America’s Safest City and Metro Area involves a multi-step process. First, 2004 city and metro area crime rates per 100,000 population (the most recent comparable final numbers available, released by the FBI in October 2005) for six basic crime categories — murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft — were plugged into a formula that measured how a particular city or metro area compared to the national average for a given crime category. The outcome of this equation was then multiplied by a weight assigned to each of the six crime categories. Each of the six crimes was given equal weight. By weighting each crime equally, cities are compared based purely on their crime rates and how they stack up to the national average for a particular crime category. These weighted numbers then were added together for a city or metro area’s final score. Finally, these scores were ranked from lowest to highest to determine which cities and metropolitan areas were safest and most dangerous.”
couple notes:
everything is based on per capita. so while dc might have a higher number of crimes by far they also have roughly 2.8x more population. so they get 2.8x the total crimes before they are as bad as us.
the 6 categories (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft) are weighted equally, so maybe we have a billion times motor vehicle thefts than average and since that’s weighted equally with murder, we look worse than we are??
but even in murders we typically rank higher than dc per person.
they are saying if you are in richmond there’s a better chance that something bad will happen to you than other places. and that’s why we rock!
this really confirms that the number one priority for the city should be crime, then of course, the safety option, education.
I like how they multiply by a wieghy assigned to each category. But each weight is the same. Ummm so why do they do that again?
Still sounds like statistical fooey to me. I think it is unfortunate that the press picked it up.
they don’t tell the formula, so it could be stupid. but they have to use something to compare a number to the national average for each category. it seems that number should just be based on a percent over or under the national average.
anyway, it doesn’t seem that outlandish of an idea to me, but there’s definately room for error. the crappy website sure makes it seem less trustworthy.
i think the wording is the worst part. it’s really a study of frequency of crimes per person. there is probably very little “danger” at all unless you are involved with drugs or x or y or z (of course there’s some danger, but how much really? who knows?). assuming that to be true, this is really more of a study indicating the frequency of involvent in drugs and x and y and z per person in each city. bc i have no involvement in these things, i don’t feel particularly “endangered.” but i do feel like our city has a lot of cleaning up to do.
You must also note that the numbers used were those of 2004 when the city police didn’t have the best leadership. Since that has changed our numbers have actually looked much better.
2004 was the last full year- you mean, so far in this year numbers are better? i don’t know for sure, but i’d say murders may be a little down, most everything else about the same and car theft stuff is actually up. i’m kindof just guessing / going on what i’ve heard when i say this. someone else will have to find real facts. or if nobody has by tonight i’ll look stuff up then. i doubt new leadership will have made a drastic difference in crime (besides arrests) in less than 1 year, but maybe??
everyone should just move to fredericksburg. the only crime here is having too much fun!
I don’t have the stats around me right now, but a couple months ago richmond had “solved” something like 2x more murders than the same time last year. So I think while murders are happening at roughly the same rate, I think the RPD is way more efficient in handling them.
That won’t really come out in those statistics for this year, but just another variable to add into the equation.
The whole idea that you can model “dangerousness” — like Wolf was saying — with a simple model is pretty ridiculous.
yeah, that’s why i said “(besides arrests)” earlier. that site doesn’t care about whether a crime is solved or not. to them it’s as simple as crimes commited = danger. so, they won’t care about crimes being solved. i partially agree bc, if i’m murdered, i’m still dead whether or not they solve the crime. in theory, solving crimes will lead to lower crime numbers in the future, but we’ll see… in the FUTURE>>>>
THE FUTURE>>>>>>!!!!?!?!
From the RTD:
—————–
Monroe said that as of Friday, homicides are down 6 percent in the city compared with the same time last year. He said investigators have made arrests in, or “cleared,” 51 of the 79 homicides and that the commonwealth’s attorney’s office has successfully prosecuted 47 of 50 murder cases it has tried this year.
Monroe also said rapes are down 12 percent, robberies are down 14 percent and aggravated assaults are 6 percent lower, as are burglaries and vehicle thefts. Monroe attributed the reductions to greater community involvement, helped in part by the department’s recently implemented sector-policing strategy.
—————–
I wasn’t just making that up
Dude I love Monroe.
the national violent crime rate is also decreasing. as it has been for a long time (10 years) at over 3% year average (according to the fbi). so, we have to stay ahead of that to really do anything in this rating. also, remember this rating is based on fbi stats not richmond press release stats, although i’m sure crime is down if they say it is. [oftentimes when richmond discusses murders it discounts domestic or other murders bc that's not really a reflection on how well they're doing their job.]
Yes! Bringing facts into a discussion! I am a huge fan of what’s going on here!
+1 Informative for all!
FACT: 7% of all crimes in the west end are opium related
FACT: 11% of all crimes anywhere were commited by people who used to love the band “Cracker”
FACT: 99% of all richmonds have crimes (exception: richmond, ontario, canada, which is a place i made up*)
*unless it does exist, but then the richmond i am referring to is still a made up one. or is it?
too bad there’s not a website that chronicles all of the crimes in richmond. they could call it “richmondcrime.”
oh midas, there you go again!
In other states, a city is in an area that usually encompasses more of the suburbs. The fact that Richmond’s suburbs are not factored into our crime stats theoretically makes our city look more dangerous. That said, our violent crime is generally concentrated enough so that we certainly have areas that can go head to head with anywhere not already in an undeclared civil war…
Wait wait wait, the civil war is over? When did that happen?
that’s a good point about the cities not including the suburbs here. VA is the only state with independent cities (with a few exceptions, like san fransisco). i don’t think people from other states understand how that works here.
It’s Richmond, California moron. Wake up.
there’s a richmond, CA?
Where’s California? Is that some yankee state?
yankee go home!
If Richmonders and their leaders want to remain in denial about Richmond’s crime epidemic, then they can relax and watch their fair city climb even higher in the national rankings. Business avoids high-crime locales like the plague, and this causes more job loss, higher taxes (to make up for the smaller tax base), and more flight of productive people.
So now Richmond can join Detroit, Flint, St. Louis, Baltimore etc as a notorious place trapped in a long-term downward spiral. Richmonders are free to tolerate as much crime as they want. What they can no longer do is pretend they don’t know.
haha, this is pretty good. its richmond, ca people. i grew up in richmond, and richmond is the most dangerous city in california. it is number five on the list, not richmond, virginia. but that is ok, now you all know, and you can come visit richmond. or as we like to call it, “da rich”
no it’s not, it says “richmond, va” right there at #5:
http://www.morganquitno.com/cit06pop.htm#25
“richmond, ca” is a wimpy #11.
must be something about the name…
I’m in Richmond, KY right now. how crazy is that?
how is that one ranked?
I always forget Kentucky exists.
that’s cuz it is rightfully just a part of virginia!
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midas Says:
March 6th, 2006 at 9:54 am
no it’s not, it says “richmond, va” right there at #5:
http://www.morganquitno.com/cit06pop.htm#25
“richmond, ca” is a wimpy #11.
must be something about the name…
U’Z A DUMBASS … COME TO DA RICH N CALL IT WIMPY … I BETCHA WON’T MAKE IT HALFWAY DOWN MY BLOCK
I’D MAKE IT HALFWAYDOWN YOUR BLOCK, DO A JIG, GO THE REST OF THE WAY, AND THEN AROUND THE BLOCK AND BACK, WALKING ON MY HANDS THE WHOLE WAY. AND EVERYTIME I WOULD DO A JIG, ALL YO MAMAS AND LAYDIES WOULD FALL IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN BABY WITH THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER FROM THE EAST.
WE WERE MURDERING EACH OTHER 100 YEARZ B4 YALL WERE EVEN TO NEVADA YET IN THOSE FRUITY LITTLE COVERED WAGONZ LOL. YOU GUYS HAVE CABLE TV OUT THERE YET IN THE “WILD” WEST? EAST COAZT 4 LIF!!
Man, MIDAS u fuckin’ trippin, come ta my bloc n’ tha rich, Souf’-Side nigga, Old Easter Hill Projects, 1800 Back-Streetz, Nicolis Court Projects, Nystrom Village Projects, Iron Triangle Projects, St. John’s Projects, Kennedy Manor, Tradeway Lane Section, Ohio st Section, Crescent Park n’ Norf’ nigga u got silver st, Market Ave & Opal st Projects, Tha Rumrills, Parchester Village, Hawthorne Ave Section, Mathieu Court Section, Temples n’ Central & Florida Ave. Whas yo sections nigga, come down streetz, get swarmed n’ bullets, MIDAS u don’t fuckin’ know shit, come ta “da rich” nigga, come ta Oakland, Hunters Point & Filmoe District n’ Frisco nigga, come ta Sac G-Prwy Projects & Oak Park nigga, Northern Killafornia run shit nigga, FUCK VIRGINA, or VAGINA, Bitch Nigga!
shit i never even heard of any of those places, they sound like something out of a kiddie’s cartoon show. sounds like somewhere mickey mouse would live. call me when you graduate to mighty morphin power rangers, then i can cap yo ass without being a baby killah.
also, since when are VAGINAS bad, oh yeah since you moved to CA where all the homos live! WHOS THE BITCH NOW (you are!)???????
OHHHHHH SNAP!
HE TOLD YOU!
MIDAS, you’re the only gay nigga in here. And speaking of Gay areas, Richmond, VA has their very own Gay district, Richmond, CA doesn’t, it’s just too gutter. That’s San Francisco. All those murders in VA are just fags killing each other over civil disputes, LOL!!
popular transvestite is Richmond’s 52nd homicide of the year:
http://www.chpn.net/archives/2005/07/popular_transve.php
Shit, Last time I even heard anyone speak about Richmond, VA was on one of those Real World episodes, there was this fat faggot on there from Richmond, VA.. And who cares if ya’ll was killing before the west was even established, The West kills the most now. You’ll see in the next Morgan Quinto report, Compton had 73 killings in 2005 with a population less than 100,000, making it last year’s murder capital, and Richmond is the overall most dangerous city in Cali. So watch your mouth you preppy ass, ivy league drop out from the east coast.
flint,michigan is tha hardest city in america period niggas be gettin killed er’day none of yall niggas could make in none of the hoods in flint
yeah, all these folks talking about how hard their hood is. Man, only a 56k connection and a 2 year old PC, that is hard. Besides, who ever heard of RCA?
BTW, Virginia is the 7th smartest state, according to the same report.
shit all yalls hoods is just suburbs of rva. you guys are like soccer moms driving your minivans around compared to us, all scared to come downtown to richmond town – and you should be! go back to your PTA meetings!
ALL ROADS LEAD TO RICHMOND MFERS!!!
THERE NOT TALKING ABOUT (RICHMOND VIRGINIA)LOL THERE TALKING ABOUT RICHMOND CALIFORNIA.
OMG
http://www.gfn.org/sheriff/press75.htm
http://michigan.gov/corrections/0,1607,7-119-1441_1476-172969–,00.html
bakersfield,ca is one of the worst
ay forget any thing yall sayin D.C should be ranked da most dangerous because we see mcrime than any body especially virginia cuz they soft we laugh at them ova here the only reason we aint numba one iz cuz we have 2 much important stuff ova here and they dont wanna lose tourist and money but we definitly da worst ask any body dat and now we got C^rips and Bkl00ds ova here so yea we on top