News > Politics > Don't Go to Camden. Don't Go to Newton Either, Actually.

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MONDAY NOVEMBER 21 2005 6:00 PM

Don't Go to Camden. Don't Go to Newton Either, Actually.

Submitted by MissTyrios

Edited by MissTyrios

For the second year in a row, Camden, New Jersey has been named the most dangerous city in the US, and Newton, Massachusetts has been named the safest. Now, my school is located in Newton and, honestly, I'm surprised it's literally the "safest" place in the entire country, especially considering the way really rich people drive around in military assault vehicles. But apparently negligent driving and poorly planned roads and intersections don't come into play in the rankings - the criteria considered include violent crime and motor vehicle theft rates.

In Newton, the median household income was $86,052 in 2000, more than three times that of Camden's $23,421, statistics show. The median value of a Newton house was $438,400, more than 10 times that of Camden.

Camden has a 15.9 percent unemployment rate, compared with 2.9 percent in Newton. More than half of Camden's population is black and 39 percent is Hispanic, compared with 2 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, in Newton. More than two-thirds of Newton residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 5 percent in Camden.

Camden faced both good and bad prospects after last year's ranking - the federal and state government did pledge to devote more resources to the city, and - as a result - the crime rate this year was down 18%. But the rankings also caused Camden to lose a major hotel development deal, and the Rutgers campus there has faced lower enrollment rates.

Not everyone agrees with the way the rankings are compiled by Morgan Quinto, the company that authors the study.

The method Morgan Quito uses to determine the rankings is attacked regularly by criminologists and sociologists, who criticize the company for not placing the data in context.

John Allen Paulos, author of Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences and a professor of mathematics at Temple, labeled the company's methodology "incomprehensible."

It "calls for a new category of crime: statisticide," Paulos said. "I think they should be sentenced to a course in probability and statistics."

Under its methodology, Morgan Quitno gives equal weight to six basic crime categories reported by the FBI: homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor-vehicle theft.

One city activist said that regardless of the publisher's methods, he was thankful that the ranking had brought resources to the beleaguered city.

"Being focused on the exact methodology obscures the fundamental problems going on in Camden," Jeff Brenner said. "It's a very dangerous city with enormous public safety problems, and we have a long way to go to make it a safe place for families, children and businesses to thrive.

"The only way we'll make change in Camden is by bringing a spotlight to the problem."

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Comments

PointBlank

New York, NY

November 2004

NOV 23, 2005 11:12 AM

KMFCM said:

it's funny, you NEVER hear about Camden in rap songs
(Newark yes, Camden no)

newton, either

Weapon0

Indianapolis, IN

October 2005

NOV 23, 2005 11:58 PM

I heard about this on NPR. Gary, Indiana is in the top ten. WOOO, Go Indy. I haven't been this proud of my state since I hear Connersville, IN was number one in teen pregnancies.

I'm disappointed though that no jersey natives posted shouting "We're number one!!! We're number one!!!"

[Edited on Nov 24, 2005 3:11AM]

Huck

United Kingdom

July 2004

NOV 24, 2005 07:09 AM

More than half of Camden's population is black and 39 percent is Hispanic, compared with 2 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, in Newton.

so?

ASSH0LE

Las Vegas, NV

June 2003

NOV 24, 2005 11:11 PM

Gackt said:
here is the link entire listing if anyone is interested: http://www.governmentguide.com/community_and_home/morganmostdangerouscities.adp

Interesting thing: Nevada is the most dangerous state to live in. It was last year too.

Neither Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno nor any other Nevada cities are on the list for most dangerous cities.

How that probably worked out: Nevada has three or four mid-sized cities. Maybe two or three of those have appreciable crime rates (Henderson is safe, though the neighbor kids will break in or steal your car if you're not careful).

In between those cities is basically fucking nothing. Or next to nothing. 80% of the state is owned by the federal government. Most towns and cities in the state are decidedly small and low in population. Like in most states, those tend to be the safer places. But there's much fewer of them, and not all that much population in those places.

UpTight

I'm lost

December 2003

NOV 25, 2005 07:10 AM

deBreard said:
Gary? Anyone? Anyone? Gary, Indiana? ...man, Gary is fallin' off...

I was just thinking the same thing...

I guess times move on

lyfeforce

Springfield, PA

February 2005

NOV 25, 2005 09:25 PM

Chester Pa isn't in the top 10 anymore? forshame!!!

SYH

Redford, MI

February 2003

NOV 27, 2005 04:52 PM

Sorcha said:

MistressMissy said:
also...Troy, MI on the 10 safest list...Troy, MI not too far from Detroit.
YEAH.

Troy being "not too far" from Detroit is like saying Ann Arbor is just as dangerous as Detroit. Both cities are roughly the same distance from the city. Troy is a good half-hour north, at least, and it's very safe. It is NOTHING like Detroit, even though it's considered (just barely) "metro Detroit". It's suburbia at its finest.

Troy & Detroit aren't nearly as far apart as Ann Arbor & Detroit. It's only nineteen-and-a-half miles between the respective city halls of Troy (500 W. Big Beaver/16 Mile Rd) and Detroit (Two Woodward Avenue). Since most of that distance is the Chrysler Freeway (I-375 & I-75), that's more like twenty minutes (ignoring rush hour & construction).

As for Troy being "barely" Metro Detroit, I beg to differ. The northern fringe of Metro Detroit in that area of Oakland County is Rochester, whose northern border is 26 Mile Rd.