Grand Rapids Crime Rate

[gat]

I was speaking with a coworker about my move to GR next year and he expressed concern about the crime rate of the area (he knows this because he has "heard"). Now I live in Metro Detroit and I am in Detroit for business and entertainment and do not have a problem with it. I have watched the GR news when I am there for work and do not notice any more stories related to crime than other parts of the state including Detroit. I am feeling very comfortable about my move to Union Square next year. By the way my coworker lives in Chicago!

Am I missing something? Where would this idea come from?

Georgia

[mpchicago]

I've never known GR to have an excessive rate of crime in any catagory. Rape at one time was listed as being above average, but they said it was due to better reporting. Not sure where your buddy is getting his info.

In fact, GR as far as I know has always had very low crime rate compared to a city it's size, and in general for the whole country. Maybe he knows something I don't.

Maybe some folks in Chicago are putting on a smear campaign because they have heard GR is up and coming?

[blueman459]

I was speaking with a coworker about my move to GR next year and he expressed concern about the crime rate of the area (he knows this because he has "heard"). Now I live in Metro Detroit and I am in Detroit for business and entertainment and do not have a problem with it. I have watched the GR news when I am there for work and do not notice any more stories related to crime than other parts of the state including Detroit. I am feeling very comfortable about my move to Union Square next year. By the way my coworker lives in Chicago!

Am I missing something? Where would this idea come from?

Georgia

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, I can say this. My job is to protect the city(hint..hint..)And the city is a relatively safe place to live for its size. We have our pockets of crime but overall is very safe. I'd say most of the crime that occurs is from a known person. What I mean is, the victim knows the perp. Where your moving to is a great part of the west side and you should have no problems. Welcome to the city!!!

[GaryP]

gat, I do not think that GR has any serious problem with crime (obviously there is some crime in any city of GR's size). I feel comfortable in any neighborhood in the city; I don

[bwindi25]

In general, I would say GR has a low crime rate. My wife and I live in what is considered a "rough" neighborhood and don't feel unsafe. Just take your basic urban living precautions. If you want stats on how individual neighborhoods compare to the overall GR crime rate, the GVSU Community Research Institute have posted stats for 2000-2002. You can access the info at www.cridata.org and navigate to Community Profiels/Grand Rapids Neighborhoods and then pick the various neighborhoods. The safety stats are near the bottom of available data. I believe the Union project is in the West Grand Neighborhood.

[GRDadof3]

Of all the bad things people in Detroit and Chicago say about Grand Rapids (and I've heard them all, especially NO NORDSTROMS?! OMG!), I have NEVER heard anyone outside this area say that crime is bad

But here is a comparison, GR vs. Chicago vs. Detroit:

GR - http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?ci...Rapids&state=MI

Chicago - http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?ci...hicago&state=IL

And Detroit - http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?ci...etroit&state=MI

Although this is Detroit city, not metro.

[hood]

Remember, that site that GRDad posted up there is actual numbers, not rates. And GR only had like 8 murders in 2002 for a city of 200,000 people, I didn't even hear anyone in GR bragging. In Lansing we only had 7 murders one year and people were looking at that stat in amazement, we consider our murder rate low at only 9-12 per 100,000, GR is only 4 per 100,000 . Anyways, GR has a very low crime rate and is probably the safest core city in Michigan, and getting safer.

[GRDadof3]

Remember, that site that GRDad posted up there is actual numbers, not rates. And GR only had like 8 murders in 2002 for a city of 200,000 people, I didn't even hear anyone in GR bragging. In Lansing we only had 7 murders one year and people were looking at that stat in amazement, we consider our murder rate low at only 9-12 per 100,000, GR is only 4 per 100,000  . Anyways, GR has a very low crime rate and is probably the safest core city in Michigan, and getting safer.

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The bars in the lower part of the pages show crime rates versus national averages. Lansing doesn't look too bad, except for the forcible rapes

http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?ci...ansing&state=MI

[hood]

Lansing's crime rates fluctuate like you wouldn't beleive, except for that forcible rape, it's always been high and keeps going up. We also have some questionable reporting practices regarding the cops here. I'll take this opprotunty to ask Blueman459 (I'm assuming your a cop from your post), I've heard that if someone is stealing from a store and they assault an employee in the process it is supposed to be a robbery, is that true? And Lansing police will not take robbery, car theft or carjacking reports if they think their "drug related," is that a normal practice?

[snoogit]

Grand Rapids is plenty safe. Its only weakness is the centralized police force.

[blueman459]

Grand Rapids is plenty safe. Its only weakness is the centralized police force.

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Hood, yes if someone uses force and steals something it is unarmed robbery. If there's a weapon used its armed robbery. If someone just steals an item from a retail store its retail fraud. In Grand Rapids we have to take reports on anything if theres a victim involved thats alleging a crime. We have in the past however prosecuted someone for a false report.

Snoogit, I do agree with you in a sense about the centralized police force. In the late 1990's the chief proposed precinct houses in 5 area's of the city. It was a great idea in my opinion but never gained city approval. Actually it was a blessing in disguise with all the budget cuts that have been going on..

[Rizzo]

Well, I can say this.  My job is to protect the city(hint..hint..)And the city is a relatively safe place to live for its size.  We have our pockets of crime but overall is very safe.  I'd say most of the crime that occurs is from a known person.  What I mean is, the victim knows the perp.  Where your moving to is a great part of the west side and you should have no problems.  Welcome to the city!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

blueman459, in your opinion would GR be able to come back to the idea of precincts, say within 10 years?

[hood]

Hood, yes if someone uses force and steals something it is unarmed robbery.  If there's a weapon used its armed robbery.  If someone just steals an item from a retail store its retail fraud.  In Grand Rapids we have to take reports on anything if theres a victim involved thats alleging a crime.  We have in the past however prosecuted someone for a false report.

Lansing cops don't do that, they often take "unarmed robberies" as larcenies, well I guess the FBI will find out someday . I guess these reporting inconsistancies may partially explain Lansing's low crime rate.

As for precincts, they have helped in Lansing. We have a North and South precincts, and an administrative headquarters and jail downtown, in the 6 story portion City Hall. There is early talk of eliminating the precincts and building a new central precinct, it has met harsh critisism. People like the precincts, because they have lowered crime and double as community centers. It is a system I would suggest to any city over 100,000. I was suprised to learn that Lansing and Detroit were the only police departments in the state with more than one police location, Lansing has three.

[blueman459]

Lansing cops don't do that, they often take "unarmed robberies" as larcenies, well I guess the FBI will find out someday  . I guess these reporting inconsistancies may partially explain Lansing's low crime rate.

As for precincts, they have helped in Lansing. We have a North and South precincts, and an administrative headquarters and jail downtown, in the 6 story portion City Hall. There is early talk of eliminating the precincts and building a new central precinct, it has met harsh critisism. People like the precincts, because they have lowered crime and double as community centers. It is a system I would suggest to any city over 100,000. I was suprised to learn that Lansing and Detroit were the only police departments in the state with more than one police location, Lansing has three.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rizzo, I wish they would go to precincts but I highly doubt it. With the city budget the way it is, It'll be hard to persuade the city manager to make this happen. It suprises me that Lansing has 3 precincts. What you need to understand is that the city is broken up into 4 different districts. Each district is then broken up to 8 beat areas. So each neighborhood as an officer assigned to it. So in reality there's really no need for a precinct house in those areas since each district is in close proximaty to downtown. Also with how the three different shifts run, there is never a time where there is not police coverage. The Chief did an outstanding job by going to 12 hour shifts. He was able to place more patrol officers on the road in a time where the city is cutting back. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've seen how other departments are run, since I've worked for three different police agencies, and the GRPD is an extremely efficient police department. I'm very proud to where the blue.

[snoogit]

OP: Did you say you were from Georgia?

I know a COMMON misconception of people outside of most of the Midwest is that Grand Rapids is close to or even a part of Detroit. I know of some people who have even confused Grand Rapids with Southfield on certain occasions.

[Rizzo]

^I think as Grand Rapidians we have all kinds of stories like that. Whats even scary is that when I was in Mackinac I was approched by a couple from Detroit, they asked me where I was from, I replied Grand Rapids, then they said, "ohh so your from suburban Detriot, how nice..." word for word, i wasn't upset, i was understanding so I did like most of us Michiganders do best, I used my hand as a map!

[GRDadof3]

^I think as Grand Rapidians we have all kinds of stories like that. Whats even scary is that when I was in Mackinac I was approched by a couple from Detroit, they asked me where I was from, I replied Grand Rapids, then they said, "ohh so your from suburban Detriot, how nice..." word for word, i wasn't upset, i was understanding so I did like most of us Michiganders do best, I used my hand as a map!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was talking to a woman from the booth next to me at a trade show in Chicago, where I was working, and I told her that I was from Grand Rapids. She said, and I quote "Are there a lot of black people there?" (she was white) I didn't quite know what to say. Someone walked up just at that moment, so I didn't talk to her again.

snoogit, I think the original poster's name is Georgia (not from Georgia)

[RustTown]

It just goes to show how incredibly Detroit represents Michigan in both good and bad. I've gotten the same thing when I say I'm from Lansing. People will ask "isn't that close to Detroit?" I think many simply think of Michigan an economically depressed state, as a dumping ground for poor Black people, with lakes and some nice parts dispersed, throughout.

Michigan could do so much better in marketing itself, it's not even funny. IMO, it's a high point in an otherwise bland Midwest (with exceptions, of course).

[gat]

snoogit

My name is Georgia, like the state.

I thank all of you for your input. As I said before I feel great about moving to GR and have no fear. Even in the suburbs you need to be cautious. When I travel out of state people do think that most of Michigan is Detroit.

[Rizzo]

^Thats our faults as Michiganders, we just all point toward Detroit.

[joeDowntown]

After visiting last week and seeing the "finer parts" of the Big D, as well as most of downtown, I think we should sign a treaty with Ohio and give them Detroit too.

I can honestly say that there are VERY few areas that I would be afraid to walk around in GR. As Blueman said, most crime is attributable to a "falling out" with someone they know. The Franklin and Eastern area is the only area I start to feel a little shaky driving through and even then I think most of it is in my head.

Joe

^Thats our faults as Michiganders, we just all point toward Detroit.

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