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Charleston's Rising Crime Rate

Donny James

By Donny James
in Charleston

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L-Beware Whistle-Stop

L-Beware

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Everybodys making a huge fuss about the comment. And in my opinion, the statement may have been made distastefully. But the truth is, that we do have a problem with children being born without the proper guidance available in the households.

He couldve said it different. But there is some truth to what he was trying to say.

And Im not the biggest Robert Ford fan, but this...

"What we've got is a failure in society, whether it's in Mount Pleasant with yuppie parents or whether it's on the East Side with poor crackhead parents," he said, referring to areas in and around Charleston.

State Sen. Robert Ford, a Charleston Democrat, agreed that the crime highlights a societal problem but dismissed Shirley's suggestion to sterilize people as "crazy."

"What Larry Shirley needs to talk about is getting City Council to provide some recreational facilities and activities for these kids and creating an atmosphere conducive to a normal society," said Ford, also a former councilman.

That last statement is so true. And just reiterates what I said on the previous page. There are many kids that have been born into bad situations since the beginning of time, but what WE can do as a society is to do just like he said. Take the responsibility to ensure that our communities provide an atmosphere conducive for less fortunate kids to do better and succeed. And that is where the City of Charleston is failing MISERABLY right now.

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SimCity Whistle-Stop

SimCity

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I'm not a huge fan of Sen. Ford either and while I agree with the old African adage that "it takes a village to raise a child" the parents of these children should not be left off the hook. So many parents are completely negilgent in teaching their children proper values and disciplining them and then they want to cry and blame society when their offspring end up in jail or dead. It's one thing to get into normal childhood mischefs and quite another to be out robbing, shooting,celling drugs, and killing people and the difference between the two is having responsible parents. There are many types of wildlife that devote more attention to their offspring and better prepare them for adulthood than many human parents do. Sen. Ford needs to accept the fact that having recreaional facilities and activities is not going to stop someone who has evil intentions in mind and wasn't properly raised.

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Charleston native Burg

Charleston native

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You guys have raised some very valid points. I think it is ridiculous that Councilman Shirley has been getting tremendous criticism for the statement which was based mostly on frustration with the whole problem of crime. There is some truth to it, though. As all of you have said, children are being born into poverty and irresponsible parents: a dangerous combination.

Today's P & C has an editorial on Shirley's remarks. I agree that his comment is off-base and not even an option, but it does show how dire the situation is and the depth of the problem. The editor needs to quit jumping to conclusions in what Shirley thinks and stop the knee-jerk reactions to any politically incorrect statements made.

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SimCity Whistle-Stop

SimCity

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I agree with you on that. I work with inmates everyday and the majority that I talk to admit that they are in prison of their own account and because of greed, not because of a societal bias against them. That being said there are societal biases against particular groups of people but that doesn't excuse the criminal behavior of anyone.

Right. Nobodys letting the parents off the hook. The parents/home was the first thing I addressed. Im saying both are being neglected.
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SimCity Whistle-Stop

SimCity

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While I feel that Mayor Riley does a really good job the idea of a mayor Guliani would be interesting. Just think of the type of capital investments a big name like that could draw to the Charleston area. According to the media if I'm not mistaken, he has presided over a ruthless crack down on crime that has resulted in the safest NYC streets in decades.

maybe Charleston should elect Mayor Guiliani?
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Donny James Unincorporated Area

Donny James

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Another body of a man found on the side of the road near Midland Park in North Charleston. Thats 3 shootings on Tuesday, 2 murders.

Charleston has now surpassed its highest metro area murder rate ever recorded, which was 60, 15 years ago in 1991, and is now standing at 66, with 3 long months to go. Unbelievably sad.

Does anyone know what the Charleston County population looks like. I think last time I checked it was somewhere around 320,000.

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Donny James Unincorporated Area

Donny James

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Yes. Charleston did that purposely for a long time. It wasnt until a private group named Morgan Quitno came out with their own rating scale that the Charleston statistics started coming out. I remember there was a big fuss a few years back when the crime rate was high and they rated Charleston high on the list, the city started complaining.

One positive thing is, Charleston crime rates have a tendency to fluctuate from high to low. Hopefully the rest of this year things will calm down.

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SimCity Whistle-Stop

SimCity

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Both Wikipedia and the U.S. Census Bureau place the estimated population of Charleston county in 2005 at 330,000.

Another body of a man found on the side of the road near Midland Park in North Charleston. Thats 3 shootings on Tuesday, 2 murders.

Charleston has now surpassed its highest metro area murder rate ever recorded, which was 60, 15 years ago in 1991, and is now standing at 66, with 3 long months to go. Unbelievably sad.

Does anyone know what the Charleston County population looks like. I think last time I checked it was somewhere around 320,000.

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Jerseyman4 Burg

Jerseyman4

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According to the media if I'm not mistaken, he has presided over a ruthless crack down on crime that has resulted in the safest NYC streets in decades.

A combination of things went for Guliani's way

1. When AID's first came out in the early 1980s, about a decade later... many of whom were infected, died in the masses. These were your introvenus drug users and prostitutes that would commit crimes. This is a theory that most people in the Tri-State area would tell you.

2. The increase of Law Enforcement officers

3. Pursuing investments in Manhattan by making improvements along many tourist areas

4. Enforced the Rockefeller laws, which to me are pretty harsh for the most part.

5. Cleaned up NYC in every way possible but you still go to Bedford-Stuyvestant or Jamaica, progress there never came around.

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Charleston native Burg

Charleston native

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...One positive thing is, Charleston crime rates have a tendency to fluctuate from high to low. Hopefully the rest of this year things will calm down.

I have noticed this trend as well, Donny. Let's hope you're right. Suppressing the fatcs of the crime rate DT is not going to be possible with all of the different information avenues available in the public, so if the city doesn't step up, tourism and public image could be hurt. Mayor Riley went to a state Senate task force and proposed anti-crime legislation. He called for an increase in penalties for gun-related offenses and to thrust more money into the state's courts, probation offices, and prisons. The link for the article is below.

Here is a quote from the article:

A computer printout trailed from the mayor's upstretched hand to the floor, as he explained that one offender received a two-year probationary term at sentencing nearly three years after being charged with burglary, car theft, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of drugs in a school zone and related offenses.

Sen. Jake Knotts, R-West Columbia, a former narcotics detective, examined the rap sheet and noted that most of the charges were dropped before they went to court.

Guys, this is absolute BS. Why are these charges being dropped before going to court? Exchange of information? Slick lawyers? We've got to put a stop to this crap.

Riley pushes anti-crime laws

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kayman Town

kayman

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These major crime waves seems to be a problem across the nation as a whole. Places like Minnneapolis, Seattle, and Denver have seen major increases in violent crime although they are supposed to be consider one of the safer major cities It is worse in cities like Birmingham, New Orleans, and Washington, DC who have seen crime rates similar to that in the early 90's. Many experts have touted the reason for the increase in crime is lack of hope in many communities, and the release of numerous violent convicts from prison who have already served their 20-30 years sentences.

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Donny James Unincorporated Area

Donny James

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Unfortunately Charleston's violent crime rate has always been high though. Its just the murder rate that is now skyrocketing. South Carolina is consistently in the Top 3, of highest violent crime year after year. Its just this murder rate that is really the scary thing. We've never had a murder problem like other cities do, so thats really the big issue.

Although, I did read somewhere that said during the 1930's, at the height of the Mobs reign, Charlestons murder rate was 3 times that of Chicago (Al Capone) and 4 times that of New York.

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SimCity Whistle-Stop

SimCity

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All of these are factors in the crime along with others that haven't been mentioned. Most of the violence seems to be centered around the drug trade and concentrated in certain areas of town. Unless you are invloved in the drug lifestyle or frequent particular areas than you are as safe in Charleston as you would be in any other city of the same size. Those at greatest risk are minorities that are forced to find affordable housing in the most dangerous neighborhoods. When I was living in Charleston and moved from the relatively violence free and middle class area of Northbridge to Charleston Heights I immediately became aware of the fact that I was in a much higher crime zone and at a much greater risk for personal injury and property damage. A fact borne out when I had to defend myself more than once from attempted robberies and unwanted advances. My grandfather's house that I was living in had even been broken into several times before I moved in.

Younger people these days just aren't like their elders. They want money now and are willing to do almost anything to get it. Many don't care about their life or anyone else's. They aren't willing to settle for dead end jobs that don't pay anything like previous generations did. Many feel that education is a waste of time and they live only for today. There is nothing that society can do to prevent violent crime. Why? >>>Isaiah 51:20 "Your sons have become unconscious and gather on the street corners as wild beast. They are full of the wrath of the Almighty and the rebuke of the Mighty One."

What do you all think the factors are with Charleston high crime? Just to list some as examples; poverty, lack of affordable housing, uncontrolled drug trafficking, resentment towards Law Enforcement, high unemployment?
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MikesLogic Whistle-Stop

MikesLogic

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Another murder in North Charleston yesterday morning.

Woman killed in North Charleston robbery

They caught this person fairly quick

Derricotte was arrested in Virginia on Saturday by Stafford County Sheriff 's deputies after investigators were told he had acquaintances there, according to North Charleston police spokesman Spencer Pryor. Local investigators are working with Virginia authorities to return Derricotte to North Charleston.
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