The recent post on Safety generated some interesting points. snarky did some research and I appreciate the help. QCI mentioned that he thought things were a lot worse in Phoenix. Then ghost entered and said I might as well give up on the crime and post about cars fulltime. As I commented there, I'm not real good at quitting. So I went back and added Des Moines to snarky's orginal work and the following is the result.
In 2005, murders per 100,000 people Phoenix leads with 15, followed by Davenport with 7.1, then Des Moines with 2.6; the national average is 6.9
Rapes per 100,000 surprised me, Des Moines leads with 56.38, then Davenport with 54.68, the Phoenix with 36.35; national average is 6.9; national average is 32.2.
Robbery per 100,000- Phoenix had 289, followed by Davenport with 275,4, then Des Moines with 150.7; national average is 195.4; national average 340.1.
Aggravated Assault per 100,000- Davenport had 1002.5, Des Moines had 419.8, and Phoenix had 388.8; national average 340.1.
Now, while I know QCI has a problem with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, I still think his methods work. The numbers don't support the statement that crime is worse in Phoenix, and I'll say it again, Sheriff Arpaio is doing something.
These figures, and charts can be found on the area connect webpages listed below.
Davenport/Phoenix page
Davenport/Des Moines page
Say what you will, we need to get a grip on this crime problem. Post what you want, I'll be in and out all week end again. I'll close with a statement from Tony Blair I recieved via e-mail-
Thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in... And how many want out." Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
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5 comments:
I loved the quote at the end of your post! Too often we only hear the negative messages being sent. As a Marine Corps veteran it's touching to hear that sentiment from someone 'across the pond'.
After a recent post and conversation on Quad City Images I think we should all be considering solutions to the crime in Davenport and the QCA in general. It may be one of the defining differences on how we can move our community forward. Crime and inattentive leaders will hold us back while many other positive changes are happening all around us.
Get on the bandwagon with Cruiser and offer suggestions to your local politicos so they are aware that we want action!
Dave,
That's all we're asking. Too many people forget we have problem. How many people remember the $200 million needed to revamp our sewer system that we've been paying fees on for years? I haven't seen it in the news lately. And while I can't control the media, if crime was down it wouldn't be in the news. And I know that would make me happy. I was born, raised, and still live in Davenport. I've been here all of my 55 years, except my travels with the U.S. Navy. I really just want to get it safer for my wife and son. And thank you for being a veteran.
My entire point of saying that things are worse in Phoenix IS that the stats show that they are worse here.
Stats aren't always the most useful thing. However, the fact that our crime rate is so terrible is a bad thing by itself. When folks look at all the city info website and see that kind of thing, it surely makes them think twice about moving here. What the stats don't show is that 90% (yes, I made that figure up) of crimes are committed against other criminal-types. If you don't hang out with drug dealers, gangsters, etc, those crime stats would look a heck of a lot better.
#1 priority should be bringing back officer discretion of high vehicle pursuits. More cops don't help when the current policy just lets them get away.
QCI,
The stats are based on Police reports. Maybe Davenport reports more than the other cities, I don't know. If you think it's only the sites I post, good luck finding any with more favorable stats. I have looked at around 100. You can say what you want, but 1 murder is too many, 1 assault is too many, and one injured baby is too many. Since we can't reach a middle ground, we'll have to argree to disagree.
I wasn't at all suggesting the sites you've used aren't good or accurate. The stats are "correct," they just don't tell the whole story. I don't think I disagree with you on much of this topic actually, except maybe the Guardian Angels and speed cameras.
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