El Paso Named Safest Big US City

[Pauls' Revere]

From the article:

City crime rankings are not without controversy. The FBI, whose statistics are used to compile the list, has warned that such rankings do not take into account factors that shape crime, such as population density, youth demographics, climate and family cohesiveness.

Criminologists cite other factors, including studies that show cities with a high number of Hispanic immigrants tend to have low crime rates.

One theory by an Ohio State University researcher argues that murder rates are linked to trust in government and a sense of belonging. When trust fails, people settle their own scores violently.

In other words...shit does not get reported.

 

[Justinjj1]

Going from my own personal experience, having been to El Paso several times, I can definitely see it as being one the safest cities.

 

[Clairvoyant]

I have a hard time even considering El Paso as a big city, I mean most to cities with highest crime are easily 2-3 times in size.

 

[Brett]

Baltimore lost it's bottom spot to Detroit. Go Maryland?

 

[Zippyjuan]

I have a hard time even considering El Paso as a big city, I mean most to cities with highest crime are easily 2-3 times in size.

The list was of cities with populations over 500,000 and El Paso is listed as having about 750,000. The city of San Diego (also a border city and in the top five) is about 1.5 million (SD county is closer to three million).

 

[oyarde]

I take it you have been busted?

No , Never ( knock on wood ) , my home town is # 5 per capita though .

 

[oyarde]

I take it you have been busted?

No , Never ( knock on wood ) , my home town is # 5 per capita though .

 

[thorin]

The fact that it is on the same list as New York tells me that no large city is safe anymore.

Personally, I do think the drug wars thing is a little overrated. Individual illegal aliens acting on their own commit WAY more felonies than supposed drug cartels. 25% of felons are illegal aliens.

In recent Testimony of District Attorney John M. Morganelli before the House Subcommittee on immigration, Border, Security and Claims he stated:

"Unfortunately, the majority of illegal aliens who are here are engaged in criminal activity. Identity theft, use of fraudulent social security numbers and green cards, tax evasion, driving without licenses represent some of the crimes that are engaged in by the majority of illegal aliens on a daily basis merely to maintain and hide their illegal status.
In addition, violent crime and drug distribution and possession is also prevalent among illegal aliens. Over 25% of today's federal prison population are illegal aliens. In some areas of the country, 12% of felonies, 25% of burglaries and 34% of thefts are committed by illegal aliens."

 

[Zippyjuan]

According to Governer Schwartzenegger, about ten percent of people in California jails are illegal. The New York Times took a look at one reporter (Lou Dobbs) who claimed that one third of all prison inmates were illegal aliens. Their findings:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/30/business/30leonside.html

Here are the facts, according to the Department of Justice:

¶In 2000, 27 percent of the inmates in federal prisons were noncitizens. Some of these noncitizens were illegal immigrants, and some were in this country legally. In 2001, this percentage dropped to 24 percent, and it continued dropping over the next four years, falling to 20 percent in 2005.

Bottom line: illegal immigrants make up significantly less than a third of the federal prison population, and the share has been falling in recent years.

¶The share of state prison inmates who are noncitizens is much lower. (This is largely because immigration violations themselves are federal crimes.) In 2000, 4.6 percent of inmates in state prisons were noncitizens. This number remained quite steady over the next five years, right around 4.6 percent.

¶Over all — combining federal and state prisons — 6.4 percent of the nation’s prisoners were noncitizens in 2005. This is down from 6.8 percent in 2000.

¶By comparison, 6.9 percent of the total United States population were noncitizens in 2003, according to the Census Bureau.

It should be noted that "non citizens" includes people here both legally and illegally. Illegal aliens would be only a fraction of even that number so the claim that one fourth of the people in federal prisons are illegal aliens is false.

At the end of the article they added:

For one thing, the consequences of being arrested can be enormous for illegal immigrants, which is an obvious deterrent to crime. For another, immigrants, as a group, aren’t typical of the population. The fact that they have picked up and moved to another country suggests that they have more ambition, and perhaps even more skill, than the average person. This could help explain why the United States, a nation of immigrants, is such an economic powerhouse.

 

[Rael]

Hmm, what do the cities in the bottom 5 all have in common?

 

[agitator]

Hmm, what do the cities in the bottom 5 all have in common?

hmmm

Highest crime rate
# 1. Detroit.
# 2. Baltimore.
# 3. Memphis, Tenn.
# 4. Washington.
# 5. Atlanta.

 

[osan]

Perhap somebody could provide us with crime statistics to compare cities since they question these here. Support your contentions. Other input welcomed.

New York City one of the safest cities of 500K or more? Are they kidding? I'm a native of that town and can tell you that even though it is greatly improved since it hit rock bottom ca. 1985, it is still nowhere near being a safe city. I've lived all over these United States. Portland OR is safer, as is Seattle - two of the several large cities in which I have resided. I would call Pittsburgh and Cleveland far and away safer than NYC as well, based on my personal experience.

Let us remember who and what "government" is: people. People are what they are, statistically speaking and in terms of behavior, which is anything but trustworthy where conflicting interests mixed with privileged position is concerned. This is true enough when "government" is held accountable to the rest for their actions. When they are not, as we find today, anything in the way of lies and bullshit can be expected.

It seems that people such as yourself are somehow pathologically incapable of facing certain unpleasant truths about how the world operates. You therefore choose to trust that which should never be trusted out of a fear-driven need to believe the world is shiny and clean and safe. Whatever.

 

[agitator]

Let us remember who and what "government" is: people. People are what they are, statistically speaking and in terms of behavior, which is anything but trustworthy where conflicting interests mixed with privileged position is concerned. This is true enough when "government" is held accountable to the rest for their actions. When they are not, as we find today, anything in the way of lies and bullshit can be expected.

It seems that people such as yourself are somehow pathologically incapable of facing certain unpleasant truths about how the world operates. You therefore choose to trust that which should never be trusted out of a fear-driven need to believe the world is shiny and clean and safe. Whatever.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with:

El Paso government and business leaders often face concerns about safety while trying to lure industry, visitors and events to the Sun City.

"When we are in the midst of trying to convince people we are a safe city with all the violence in Juárez, it is extremely helpful," Cook said about the ranking. "... It's cool to be number one."

 

[osan]

I see. Everybody in El Paso is an illegal alien.

A figure of speech. I'm certain you knew exactly what was meant, so cut the disingenuous crap. I'd say someone's credibility is on the line and it isn't mine.

 

[Zippyjuan]

I'm sure it has nothing to do with:

The crime figures come from FBI statistics- not from what the cities claim. From the original article:

The FBI, whose statistics are used to compile the list,

 

[Anti Federalist]

Hmm, what do the cities in the bottom 5 all have in common?

hmmm

Highest crime rate
# 1. Detroit.
# 2. Baltimore.
# 3. Memphis, Tenn.
# 4. Washington.
# 5. Atlanta.

The opposite of what all these states have in common?

State Crime Rankings 2010

Based on cumulative violent crimes, murder, rape, carjacking etc.

Lowest crime rate listed from 1-10, 1 being the safest state.

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/...tate-to-live-in-based-on-2010-crime-rankings/

No. 1: New Hampshire


No. 2: Vermont


No. 3: North Dakota


No. 4: Maine


No. 5: Idaho


No. 6: Wyoming


No. 7: Montana


No. 8: Wisconsin


No. 9: South Dakota


No. 10: Iowa

 

[bruce leeroy]

I would say big cities in Texas are overall safer and nicer than their counterparts in other parts of the country, west coast, east coast, deep south, and midwest.
I have lived a large chunk of my 32 years in the south oak cliff section of dallas, and have also lived in the trinity gardens/5th ward area of houston, and there is no way in hell I would live in a neighborhood of similar income and demographic in chicago, NYC, LA, or ATL

 

[james1906]

The opposite of what all these states have in common?

State Crime Rankings 2010

Based on cumulative violent crimes, murder, rape, carjacking etc.

Lowest crime rate listed from 1-10, 1 being the safest state.

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/...tate-to-live-in-based-on-2010-crime-rankings/

No. 1: New Hampshire


No. 2: Vermont


No. 3: North Dakota


No. 4: Maine


No. 5: Idaho


No. 6: Wyoming


No. 7: Montana


No. 8: Wisconsin


No. 9: South Dakota


No. 10: Iowa

The weather makes it too fucking cold to go out and kill people.

 

[Anti Federalist]

The weather makes it too fucking cold to go out and kill people.

LoL, that's it.

 

[oyarde]

Makes sense , easy to stay out of violence when you are huddled in front of the wood stove . You are not going to shoot anyone unless they try and come through the front door .