A few months back, we brought you a list of the 10 unfriendliest cities in 2015. As mentioned in that article, there is a difference between “unfriendly” and “violent.” Now, with the help of the site Law Street, we have some numbers for the most dangerous cities in America. So here they are. Some you may believe more than others.
1. Detroit, Michigan
Topping the list is Detroit. As Law Street points out, Detroit’s rate of violent crimes is 2,072 per 100,000. They also say:
“James E. Craig was appointed Chief of Police in July 2013, and since then the department’s homicide clearance rate rose from 11 percent to 43 percent, and almost every major crime category experienced decreases.”
Could Detroit be on the mend? Time will tell.
2. Oakland, California
In 2012, Oakland reached a 10-year high in violent crimes. By the end of 2013, the city showed an overall decrease in violent crimes by one percent. The drop may have occurred due to the creation of new and smaller police districts. It’s reported that:
“The Oakland Police Department expanded the number of police districts from two to five.”
While it may not seem like much, a start is a start.
3. Memphis, Tennessee
While Memphis has moved up a spot from last year, the city decreased its violent crimes rate by more than 5 percent. The report says that:
“The city had 124 murders, 437 rapes, 3,133 robberies, and 7,200 aggravated assaults.”
4. St.Louis, Missouri
Though at number four, St. Louis saw a 20 percent drop in crime during the first six months of 2013. Violent crimes also went down 10 percent by the end of 2013. The decline has been attributed to:
“the implementation of hotspot policing, movement from state to local control of the police force, and the redistricting of its police districts.”
5. Cleveland, Ohio
Listed as one of the cities that has seen an increase in violent crimes, Cleveland saw an increase in robberies and aggravated assaults. This led to a nearly seven percent increase in violent crimes. While the city did see a decrease in murders, 84 in 2012 and 55 in 2013, the city is said to be “poised for an increase.”
6. Baltimore, Maryland
Despite seeing a slight decrease in violent crimes, Baltimore saw an increase in murders. Law Street notes:
“Baltimore is second only to Detroit in its number of total murders, as the city experienced 233 homicides last year.”
Despite all of this, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts noted that the citizen complaints against police officers decreased nearly 50 percent last year.
7. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
An investigation in 2012, by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, found that the police department misreported more than 500 violent crimes between 2009 and 2012. This put the city on the list. With a violent crimes rate of 1,364 violent crimes per 100,000 people, murders are at a five-year high, with 104 in 2013.
8. Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham saw an 11 percent reduction in violent crimes in 2013. While the city is proud of its lower crime rate, Police Chief A.C. Roper says that lowering the number of murders is proving to be a challenge for the city.
9. Newark, New Jersey
Listed as a newcomer to the list, Newark has a 23 percent increase in the number of robberies to thank. The total number of murders also increased from 96 in 2012 to 112 in 2013.
10. Kansas City, Missouri
Another newcomer, the city did see a decrease in violent crimes of less than one percent from 2012 to 2013. The city also experienced 99 murders, 377 rapes, 1,622 robberies, and 3,726 aggravated assaults.
While the numbers come from an assortment of resources, the latest figures have been totaled to make up this list. Links to the resources for the figures are listed below. Law Street’s crime-ranking methodology can be found here.
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