5 ms·

The second paragraph for both your links tries to compare the cities in terms of apples-to-apples by population: NYC: "However, compared to other communities o

by quartz 4y ago

The second paragraph for both your links tries to compare the cities in terms of apples-to-apples by population: NYC: "However, compared to other communities of similar population size, New York has a crime rate that is noticeably lower than the average. This means that for comparably sized cities all across America, New York is actually safer than most according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis of FBI crime data." SF: "Importantly, when you compare San Francisco to other communities of similar population, then San Francisco crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average. Regardless of how San Francisco does relative to all communities in America of all sizes, when NeighborhoodScout compared it to communities of similar population size, its crime rate per thousand residents stands out as higher than most." Edit: having lived in both (currently in NYC) I also want to point out the two cities are incredibly different in almost every way. It's really tough to compare data across the whole "city" between the two because of the differences in geography, population density & distribution, types of crime, history & expectations, and overall city governance.

screye 4y ago
Crime in East Coast NYC/Boston/DC and West-coast-cities (SF/Seattle/Portland) is very different. The remarkable thing about SF and Seattle, is that crime is highest in high desirability/high-foot-fall areas. Many folks I know all go to downtown SF/Oakland/Seattle for work, drinks, dinner, concerts and public events. At the same time, it seems impossible to park your car on the street in any of these neighborhoods. I thought it was an exaggeration, but "every" person I know, who has parked their car for a week in one of these neighborhoods, has had their cars broken in. It's shocking. On the other hand, the high-footfall / popular parts of east coast cities are fairly safe. (Pickpockets are an exception). For better or for worse, a person would never accidentally find themselves in a bad neighborhood in NYC, Boston or DC. (Bad neighborhoods aren't always correlated with race or poverty. Sometimes it's just a self fulfilling prophecy) This means that violent crime on the east-coast has very little spill-over outside the communities ravaged by it. IE. The average stranger is safe. In that sense, west coast's 'open drug market in the most important parts of the city' policy is a uniquely west coast problem. It really doesn't affect other cities in the US or elsewhere in the same way. The unique incompetence of west coast politics is squarely to blame for the dilapidation of their cities. This is not endemic to cities at large, and cities around the world should actively distance themselves from the sort of accusations that get flung at 'all cities', when it is meant to be targeting west-coast cities in particular.
- mrangle 4y ago
  There is a lot of violent crime spillover in popular areas of East coast cities. Experiencing it is just a matter of time spent. It is also easy to accidentally be in a bad neighborhood in many. Which just depends on how close to the margins of good neighborhoods that you are willing to explore. A lot of desirable amenities tend to be near these edges, when they want to serve younger people. It is true that there aren't open air drug markets in the desirable parts of East Coast cities. There are, however, street robberies and murders.
  - Nimitz14 4y ago
    This comment is written as if the one it replied to said something wrong. It didn't and this comment does nothing to add to the debate, instead it just obfuscates. Downvoted.
- amanaplanacanal 4y ago
  The solution to open air drug markets is legalization and regulation. Make opioids and stimulants available at a low price in dispensaries and the gangsters will leave, and people won’t have to steal to support their habits. I mean it’s good that we have stopped throwing addicts in jail, but we’ve just exposed another layer of the problem.
  - dmitrygr 4y ago
    > it’s good that we have stopped throwing addicts in jail Is it though? The streets are a lot safer with the addicts safely contained elsewhere, not stabbing random people.
  - hobo_in_library 4y ago
    We really should be regulating theft in general. What if SF started a Thieves Guild, and only registered, properly trained members were allowed to steal from people? (and only after showing their Thieve's Guild registration card first, of course)
    - 4y ago

by quartz 4y ago

screye 4y ago

Crime in East Coast NYC/Boston/DC and West-coast-cities (SF/Seattle/Portland) is very different. The remarkable thing about SF and Seattle, is that crime is highest in high desirability/high-foot-fall areas. Many folks I know all go to downtown SF/Oakland/Seattle for work, drinks, dinner, concerts and public events. At the same time, it seems impossible to park your car on the street in any of these neighborhoods. I thought it was an exaggeration, but "every" person I know, who has parked their car for a week in one of these neighborhoods, has had their cars broken in. It's shocking. On the other hand, the high-footfall / popular parts of east coast cities are fairly safe. (Pickpockets are an exception). For better or for worse, a person would never accidentally find themselves in a bad neighborhood in NYC, Boston or DC. (Bad neighborhoods aren't always correlated with race or poverty. Sometimes it's just a self fulfilling prophecy) This means that violent crime on the east-coast has very little spill-over outside the communities ravaged by it. IE. The average stranger is safe. In that sense, west coast's 'open drug market in the most important parts of the city' policy is a uniquely west coast problem. It really doesn't affect other cities in the US or elsewhere in the same way. The unique incompetence of west coast politics is squarely to blame for the dilapidation of their cities. This is not endemic to cities at large, and cities around the world should actively distance themselves from the sort of accusations that get flung at 'all cities', when it is meant to be targeting west-coast cities in particular.

mrangle 4y ago
There is a lot of violent crime spillover in popular areas of East coast cities. Experiencing it is just a matter of time spent. It is also easy to accidentally be in a bad neighborhood in many. Which just depends on how close to the margins of good neighborhoods that you are willing to explore. A lot of desirable amenities tend to be near these edges, when they want to serve younger people. It is true that there aren't open air drug markets in the desirable parts of East Coast cities. There are, however, street robberies and murders.
- Nimitz14 4y ago
  This comment is written as if the one it replied to said something wrong. It didn't and this comment does nothing to add to the debate, instead it just obfuscates. Downvoted.
amanaplanacanal 4y ago
The solution to open air drug markets is legalization and regulation. Make opioids and stimulants available at a low price in dispensaries and the gangsters will leave, and people won’t have to steal to support their habits. I mean it’s good that we have stopped throwing addicts in jail, but we’ve just exposed another layer of the problem.
- dmitrygr 4y ago
  > it’s good that we have stopped throwing addicts in jail Is it though? The streets are a lot safer with the addicts safely contained elsewhere, not stabbing random people.
- hobo_in_library 4y ago
  We really should be regulating theft in general. What if SF started a Thieves Guild, and only registered, properly trained members were allowed to steal from people? (and only after showing their Thieve's Guild registration card first, of course)
  - 4y ago