City



|City |Year |Pop |Murder |Rape |

|Oakland |2008 |401587 |62 |160 |

| |2009 | |48 |176 |

|Richmond |2008 |101680 |15 |18 |

| |2009 | |20 |22 |

For two cities to compare crime rates, the options of Oakland and Richmond in California are excellent options. Oakland is approximately four times the size of Richmond, so you would expect at least four times as many crimes would be committed, yet they are close enough geographically that you would expect some differences that occur would be due to other factors, such as the make-up of the population or the unemployment level. In addition, you do not have to take into consideration many of the other factors – whether one is more rural than the other, for example – when considering what is happening in both.

Both areas have seen a major decrease in crime, but that is a standard fact across most of the Standard Municipal Statistical Areas (SMSA) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has figures for. In fact, if we look at the nationwide figures for SMSA’s we see that there is a drop in all categories by region, and by metropolitan area (which takes into consideration almost 50 million people).

The areas where there seems to be a change between these cities and the national and regional figures, however, are in rather violent crimes. Murder has increased in Richmond while it decreased in Oakland, while Forcible Rape increased in both towns, with an additional 16 incidents in Oakland and an additional 4 incidents in Richmond.

While other portions of the country are trying to explain the decrease in all areas with concepts such as the number of people unemployed has increased the number of people watching the neighborhood and reporting crimes as they see them. “Crime rates dart up and down from year to year for countless reasons -- the economy, the size of the population, the average age of the population, the weather, gangs, the supply line of drugs, the demand for drugs, the throw of the dice….” (McNamee)

On the other hand, the police are hesitant to mention drops in crime rates because they will be held responsible when the rate increases, as it eventually will.

However, for the past several years, rates have dropped continually. For example, “…the Los Angeles Police Department reported that in 2008, for the sixth consecutive year, crime fell in the city. At a time when the economy was reeling and unemployment was rising, serious crime dropped about 2.5% over the previous year.” (Wilson) These rates have continued to fall in a bad economy, when people expect there to be more thefts and more fires set to collect insurance and more people spending whatever money they have to escape their problems through drinking or illegal drug use. Instead, these two towns saw the increase in rape.

But perhaps that should be looked at as an indicator. Rape is a precursor in sexual crimes – today’s rapist, if he did not get enough satisfaction or thrill from it – may well be tomorrow’s murderer, or even worse, mass murderer or serial killer. Perhaps the increase in that crime should be a guide to the increase in murders. But the increase – 10% in Oakland and 22% in Richmond – does not help understand the 33% rise in Richmond’s murder rate or the drop in Oakland’s murder rate of 23%. One possibility is gangs. “Murder rates are profoundly influenced, at least in big cities, by gang activity. We don’t have good ways of understanding why gang activity changes, though we suspect that changes in behavior are influenced by what the police do, whether gang truces have worked and whether gangs are fighting over drug and other illegal transactions.” (Wilson)

This gang activity is a possible deciding factor for the difference. As far back as 2006 citizens in Richmond had set up four tent cities to protest the homicides in the city, almost all of which were being committed by gang members. (Griote) And the recent gang violence and even the gang rape of a 15-year-old while a large crowd watched bring the thought of gang activity to the forefront of the reasons for this situation.

Therefore, it seems obvious that the increased gang activity is the main cause for these two towns to have different rape and homicide rates, both than the country and than each other. And while both have gangs, it appears that Richmond is where the bulk of gang activity is occurring at this time, and for the past several years. If the city were able to control those groups, they may see the number of these types of crimes decrease. The question is, will other types increase when the Police Department concentrates on the gang situation?

REFERENCES

Federal Bureau of Investigation. Semiannual Uniform Crime Report. Population Group. Updated 6/09. Retrieved 1/5/10. .

Federal Bureau of Investigation. Semiannual Uniform Crime Report. Region. Updated 6/09. Retrieved 1/5/10. .

Federal Bureau of Investigation. Semiannual Uniform Crime Report. State by City, Alabama - California. Updated 6/09. Retrieved 1/5/10.

/ucr/2009prelimsem/table_4al-ca.html.

Griote, Simond. Gibbs Magazine” Tent City in Richmond, CA: A Way of Stopping the Killings.” Updated 10/23/06. Retrieved 1/5/10.

/Tent%20City%20In%20Richomd,%20CA.htm.

McNamee, Tom. Chicago Sun-Times. “Murder rate dropped. But why?” 8/10/09. Retrieved 1/5/10.

_dropped_but_why_1.html.

Wilson, James Q. Los Angeles Times. “Crime and economy don't tell whole story.” 1/8/09. Retrieved 1/5/10. .

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