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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Camden_Crime.html

Camden, N.J., ranked most-dangerous city

By GEOFF MULVIHILL
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

CAMDEN, N.J. -- For the second year in a row, this destitute city has been named the nation's most dangerous, according to a company's annual ranking based on crime statistics.

Last year, the distinction seemed to hurt city boosters' feelings more than it harmed revitalization efforts. This time, city leaders are offended by the ranking, calling it unfair.

"We're doing so many nice things now. It's unfortunate that somebody always wants to bad-mouth Camden," Mayor Gwendolyn Faison said.

The city took the top spot last year from Detroit, which remained No. 2 in the most dangerous city rankings, to be released Monday by Morgan Quitno Press. The Lawrence, Kan.-based company publishes "City Crime Rankings," an annual reference book.

Camden, a former industrial city across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, is known for a history of corrupt politicians, drug-dealing and murders. It has been among the top 10 in the most dangerous city rankings in each of the eight years Morgan Quitno released them. By most measures, it is also among the nation's poorest.

The has state poured $175 million into the city to spur development projects and take over parts of its government, the city's aquarium doubled in size and a new library and technology center were built. Tourism continues to increase along the river, home to the aquarium, an amphitheater, a minor-league baseball park and a retired battleship.

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But about 100 fewer prospective students than expected attended Rutgers University's downtown campus last year, something Provost Roger Dennis attributes to the crime ranking and a serial rapist who assaulted women near and on campus last fall. Police are now using computers to try to track crime trends, and more officers are patrolling the city's neighborhoods.

Authorities say that has helped drive down the most serious crimes by 18 percent in the first 10 months of 2005 compared with the same period a year earlier.

Some residents say their neighborhoods feel a bit safer.

"I haven't heard that many gunshots," said Gracy Muniz, 22, a mother of three who lives in North Camden.

Critics note that Morgan Quitno's ranking is based on data from last year, when the city of 80,000 averaged a murder a week. Murders from January through October were down by 45 percent compared with the same period in 2004.

Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno, said Friday that while the numbers may not be perfect, they are one of the only ways to compare crime in different cities.


Here's the actual list:
http://www.morganquitno.com/cit05pop.htm


I must say that I've not actually heard of this list or of Camden, NJ, before. However, interestingly enough, New York, NY is one of the SAFEST cities around, which seems to fly in the face of thugs who claim to be hardened by the streets of NY :lol:


On the flip side, a notable exception is Chicago from any list. Also, I was quite surprised at Columbus, OH being in the top 10 for cities 500k and up. I don't quite remember it being all that dangerous when I lived there. I guess it's the power of stereotypes.
 
I always think of new jersey has some suburbed filled, moderately wealthy state. No matter how much news I see, that's what I think of. I've never been there myself though.

It seems that liberal MA's newton is the safest. Boston is usually up there, and is usually considered one of the safest large cities (they had a thing going for a 2 or so years with no under 18 gun murders and other cities were trying to replicate it). The only reason I can think NY is up there because of the vast differences in areas, so maybe it balances out? Boston used to have a dangerous area, between and in the theatre district and chinatown, called the "war zone". That area doesn't exist anymore though. It's still the drug and hooker center of boston, but its not really dangerous anymore.
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']I always think of new jersey has some suburbed filled, moderately wealthy state. No matter how much news I see, that's what I think of. I've never been there myself though.[/QUOTE]

I usually think of the Mafia, but mayhaps that's because of too much Sapornos and GTAIII. I do know that there is alot of working class people who live there, the B&T earned their rep for a reason.
 
[quote name='Msut77']Alonzo:

New Jersey has Trenton.

When I was 12 my family drove by there and I still have nightmares.[/QUOTE]

I'm not saying it doesn't, just that when I hear of new jersey I think of connecticut just not as wealthy.
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']I'm not saying it doesn't, just that when I hear of new jersey I think of connecticut just not as wealthy.[/QUOTE]

Well perhaps something like this article will bring to light that your assumption is sort of off.
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']Well perhaps something like this article will bring to light that your assumption is sort of off.[/QUOTE]

Which is something I said in my first post.
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']I'm not saying it doesn't, just that when I hear of new jersey I think of connecticut just not as wealthy.[/QUOTE]

The only place I've been to in Connecticut is Stamford. Let me tell you, it's not all wealthy. The city's motto is "the city that works" (I bet that makes you want to visit) and first night I was there, someone was stabbed to death down the street from the hotel.
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']Why is it so hard for people to understand that what I said is what comes to mind when I think of new jersey, not what I think new jersey really is?[/QUOTE]

Because we all like to flex our street cred, I'm straight-up outta tha hood ya heard!

:whistle2:--)
 
New Jersey is a magical land of extremes. From the topamost of the popamost to the lowest of slums. Some of the nicest, most wealthy towns in the country are not 10 miles from Camden. Suburban and rural NJ provide some of the nicest places in America, sadly Jersey's lost it's focus on it's urban areas. After running the table industry wise during the first half of the 20th century, NJ was caught with it's pants down when its manufacturing companies moved to cheaper areas in and out of the US during the later half of it.

New Jersey's four largest cities are some of the worst urban areas in the country; Newark is the car theft capitol of the world, most of Trenton's industry has moved away leaving the population unemployed with no hope of industry moving back, Atlantic City has the boardwalk and the casinos, but then it has the rest of the city which is poverty stricken and drug ridden.

Camden's an odd case, unlike the several successful mid-urban areas (Cherry Hill, Jersey City, Haddonfield, Hoboken) that have thrived because of their proximity to major metropolitan areas, Camden never gentrified (maybe because Philly never did).

There's been a lot of talk the last few years about Philly being the next great American city (could happen, it's got a lot going for it), if that's the case, then it shouldn't be too hard for Camden to ride it's coat tails.
 
I have been through Camden a few times (mostly to go to the Aquarium) and I really don't like the area. It's someplace you just want to get through as fast as possible.

What really is weird is how the Atlantic City area is. Away from the casinos in Atlantic City like Cheese said, it's horrible. Even the boardwalk isn't the greatest though. Homeless beggars and junk shops. You have these multi-million dollar casinos and a few blocks away it really looks terrible. Then a few miles away in Longport (3 towns over), you have $5,000,000 houses.
 
[quote name='camoor']The only place I've been to in Connecticut is Stamford. Let me tell you, it's not all wealthy. The city's motto is "the city that works" (I bet that makes you want to visit) and first night I was there, someone was stabbed to death down the street from the hotel.[/QUOTE]

Stamford, CT
Median household income: $60,556
Median household value: $362,300

Yep, they're stuggling to put food on the table there... Granted $60,000 doesn't make it quite as far in the northeast as other places and 5% are below the poverty level apparently, but it's hardly the struggling city you picture it as. It was the safest city over 100,000 people in 2004 apparently. I mean c'mon eople get killed in the Hamptons too.

edit: Though it should be noted that similar to many northeast states CT can produce a pretty big divide in income levels depending on the community. Put I really don't think Stamford is one city rolling down the drain so to speak.
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']Stamford, CT
Median household income: $60,556
Median household value: $362,300

Yep, they're stuggling to put food on the table there... Granted $60,000 doesn't make it quite as far in the northeast as other places and 5% are below the poverty level apparently, but it's hardly the struggling city you picture it as. It was the safest city over 100,000 people in 2004 apparently. I mean c'mon eople get killed in the Hamptons too.

edit: Though it should be noted that similar to many northeast states CT can produce a pretty big divide in income levels depending on the community. Put I really don't think Stamford is one city rolling down the drain so to speak.[/QUOTE]

This reminded me how big a factor perception plays into things. For example, most people would guess vermont is a safe state and they'd be correct. Hell, once my father went into a store for 20 minutes but he forgot to turn off his car AND left the door open. Came back and nothing was touched. On the other hand most people would think toronto (pop. 2.5 million) is a safe city, but few would know that it's homicide rate continuously comes in around the same, sometimes lower, sometimes higher, but in the same ballpark as vermont (pop 600,000, largest city is 60,000, most of its farmland). But if you had asked me just from my experience I'd say it's not a very dangerous city, but you still gotta watch your back. The woman across the street from me had a guy break in and rape her at gun point early in the morning and a child was found dead (I believe decapitated) just 2 blocks from me once. I also recieved 2 visits from police during the year, one about the rape and the other about the previous guy who lived in my apartment (they were looking for the son).

Granted I don't know camdem but, as you said, murder is going to happen sometime, somewhere and someones almost always gonna be near it.
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']Stamford, CT
Median household income: $60,556
Median household value: $362,300

Yep, they're stuggling to put food on the table there... Granted $60,000 doesn't make it quite as far in the northeast as other places and 5% are below the poverty level apparently, but it's hardly the struggling city you picture it as. It was the safest city over 100,000 people in 2004 apparently. I mean c'mon eople get killed in the Hamptons too.

edit: Though it should be noted that similar to many northeast states CT can produce a pretty big divide in income levels depending on the community. Put I really don't think Stamford is one city rolling down the drain so to speak.[/QUOTE]

When I was there it was one of the last train stops that was close enough to be considered near NYC - so it had alot of modeling agencies / TV stations / other organizations that setup small offices serving as HQ for cheap real estate or tax purposes. I went to the bar area which was nice and typical (bunch of rich kids throwin down beers and expensive h'orderves) but most of the city from what i saw is fully paved over with criss-crossing streets, concrete, and factories. By no means is it rolling down the drain (the NYC satellite offices take care of that), but I wouldn't want to live there. To be honest - I may have been in a suburban area rather then the city proper - but the semi cool thing was that WWE headquarters were nearby (that probably jacks the average salary).
 
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