Crime in St. Louis, Missouri
| St. Louis City | |
| Crime rates (2010) | |
| Crime type | Rate* |
|---|---|
| Homicide: | 45.1 |
| Forcible rape: | 58.9 |
| Robbery: | 665.5 |
| Aggravated assault: | 1,173.8 |
| Violent crime: | 1,943.4 |
| Burglary: | 2,099.9 |
| Larceny-theft: | 5,122.6 |
| Motor vehicle theft: | 1,335.1 |
| Arson: | 79.2 |
| Property crime: | 8,636.9 |
| Notes * Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population. |
|
| Source: St. Louis Crime Statistics | |
Crime in St. Louis, Missouri increased from the 1970s through the early 1990s as measured by the index crime rate, followed by a decline in index crime rates through 2010. Despite decreased overall crime rates, homicide rates remain higher than the United States national average and higher than the average for urban areas. In addition, St. Louis has consistently been ranked among the most dangerous cities in the United States; however, these rankings are controversial and do not necessarily reflect the crime risk of the metropolitan area, due to the status of St. Louis as an independent city that is politically separate from St. Louis County.
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[edit] Crime trends
[edit] Historical crime trends since 1970
Starting in the 1960s, St. Louis City (distinct from St. Louis County) saw increases in its index crime and homicide rates, which both peaked in the early 1990s. However, St. Louis saw its peak number of index crimes and homicides in 1970. Although some of the reduction in the number of index crimes since the early 1990s can be attributed to St. Louis's loss of population, other factors include low inflation, the decline of open-air drug markets, and a decline in crack cocaine use.[1]
| Year | Population[2] | Index crimes[3][4][5][6] | Index crime rate[7] | Homicides[3] | Homicide rate[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 622,236 | 71,437 | 11,480.7 | 309 | 49.7 |
| 1971 | 602,600 | 67,464 | 11,195.5 | 277 | 46.0 |
| 1972 | 579,600 | 65,140 | 11,238.8 | 250 | 43.1 |
| 1973 | 539,300 | 63,852 | 11,839.8 | 254 | 47.1 |
| 1974 | 530,800 | 66,400 | 12,509.4 | 227 | 42.8 |
| 1975 | 514,000 | 69,399 | 13,501.8 | 274 | 53.3 |
| 1976 | 505,300 | 62,747 | 12,417.8 | 224 | 44.3 |
| 1977 | 486,800 | 55,450 | 11,390.7 | 195 | 40.1 |
| 1978 | 470,900 | 54,485 | 11,570.4 | 210 | 44.6 |
| 1979 | 457,500 | 57,567 | 12,583.0 | 265 | 57.9 |
| 1980 | 450,790 | 65,081 | 14,437.1 | 225 | 49.9 |
| 1981 | 454,166 | 63,097 | 13,892.9 | 265 | 58.3 |
| 1982 | 455,362 | 60,500 | 13,286.1 | 226 | 49.6 |
| 1983 | 457,262 | 51,302 | 11,219.4 | 152 | 33.2 |
| 1984 | 442,528 | 47,628 | 10,762.7 | 128 | 28.9 |
| 1985 | 431,109 | 49,540 | 11,491.3 | 169 | 39.2 |
| 1986 | 434,298 | 51,721 | 11,909.1 | 195 | 44.9 |
| 1987 | 429,414 | 54,971 | 12,801.4 | 153 | 35.6 |
| 1988 | 425,187 | 57,215 | 13,456.4 | 140 | 32.9 |
| 1989 | 405,066 | 62,683 | 15,474.8 | 158 | 39.0 |
| 1990 | 396,685 | 58,886 | 14,844.5 | 177 | 44.6 |
| 1991 | 399,858 | 64,103 | 16,031.4 | 260 | 65.0 |
| 1992 | 402,573 | 59,579 | 14,799.6 | 231 | 57.4 |
| 1993 | 387,053 | 64,438 | 16,648.4 | 267 | 69.0 |
| 1994 | 390,437 | 63,839 | 16,350.7 | 248 | 63.5 |
| 1995 | 371,425 | 59,736 | 16,082.9 | 204 | 54.9 |
| 1996 | 374,041 | 56,588 | 15,128.8 | 166 | 44.4 |
| 1997 | 377,221 | 51,214 | 13,576.7 | 153 | 40.6 |
| 1998 | 344,153 | 51,459 | 14,952.4 | 113 | 32.8 |
| 1999 | 340,836 | 47,711 | 13,998.2 | 130 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 348,189 | 50,653 | 14,547.6 | 124 | 35.6 |
| 2001 | 350,336 | 52,635 | 15,024.1 | 148 | 42.3 |
| 2002 | 353,004 | 50,429 | 14,285.7 | 111 | 31.4 |
| 2003 | 340,256 | 52,294 | 15,369.0 | 74 | 21.8 |
| 2004 | 335,143 | 45,761 | 13,654.2 | 113 | 33.7 |
| 2005 | 346,005 | 46,568 | 13,458.8 | 131 | 37.9 |
| 2006 | 346,879 | 49,312 | 14,215.9 | 129 | 37.2 |
| 2007 | 348,197 | 41,555 | 11,934.3 | 138 | 39.6 |
| 2008 | 356,204 | 37,826 | 10,619.2 | 167 | 46.9 |
| 2009 | 355,208 | 36,948 | 10,401.8 | 143 | 40.3 |
[edit] Current crime
In 2010, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department reported 33,782 index crimes, which was the lowest total reported index crimes since 1967 (however, index crimes in 1967 did not include larceny under $50, arson, or non-negligent manslaughter).[8][1] The index crime rate fell 9.2 percent from 2009, with a 15.6 percent decline in violent crime and a 7.6 percent decline in property crime.[1] However, Chief of Police Daniel Isom noted in the report that both homicides and burglaries remain problems in the city.[1]
| Year | Population[2] | Total index crimes[3] | Index crime rate[7] | Homicides[3] | Homicide rate[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 319,294 | 33,782 | 10,580.2 | 144 | 45.1 |
In 2009, 67 police departments in St. Louis County[9] reported 33,718 index crimes, and three departments did not report crime to the FBI (these include the departments of Wellston, Normandy, and Lakeshire). When St. Louis County and St. Louis City statistics are combined, crime rates decrease significantly for the area.
| Municipality | Population[2][10] | Total index crimes[3] | Index crime rate[7] | Homicides[3] | Homicide rate[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County | 989,966 | 33,718 | 3,406.0 | 36 | 3.6 |
| St. Louis City | 355,208 | 36,948 | 10,401.8 | 143 | 40.3 |
| Total | 1,345,204 | 70,666 | 5,253.2 | 179 | 13.4 |
[edit] "Most Dangerous City" rankings
In 1994, Morgan Quitno (a private research and publishing company purchased by CQ Press in 2007) began publishing reports that named St. Louis City among the "most dangerous" cities in the United States. Although the methodology for the reports changed during the 1990s, St. Louis retained its ranking in the top ten most dangerous cities, and it was named the most dangerous city in the United States three times, most recently in 2010.
| Year[11] | City ranking[12] | MSA ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 2 | - |
| 1995 | 3 | - |
| 1996 | 3 | - |
| 1997 | 8 | - |
| 1998 | 5 | - |
| 1999 | 5 | - |
| 2000 | 3 | - |
| 2001 | 3 | - |
| 2002 | 3 | - |
| 2003 | 1 | - |
| 2004 | 2 | - |
| 2005 | 4 | - |
| 2006 | 3 | - |
| 2007 | 1 | - |
| 2008 | 4 | 212 |
| 2009 | 2 | 230 |
| 2010 | 1 | N/A |
For the two years that it was ranked by CQ Press (in 2008 and 2009), the St. Louis metropolitan statistical area ranked considerably more safe than the city alone. In addition to the CQ Press rankings, other rankings of the area also suggest that the metropolitan area is considerably safer than the city alone. In its 2009 ranking of most dangerous cities, Forbes magazine did not rank the St. Louis metropolitan area among the 15 most dangerous in the United States.[13] St. Louis also was not ranked among the ten worst cities for auto theft by Forbes in 2011.[14]
St. Louis's ranking has not been without controversy; University of Missouri-St. Louis professors and criminologists Richard Rosenfeld and Janet Lauritsen criticized the rankings for their lack of transparency and their over-reliance on Uniform Crime Reports as data sources.[15] They also argue that the rankings are not meaningful indicators of risk of victimization, as certain factors such as age, lifestyle, and neighborhood play a significant role in crime risk.[15] Upon St. Louis's ranking as most dangerous city in 2010, the administration of Washington University in St. Louis criticized the rankings as flawed, and representatives for St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay noted that crime in the city decreased each year since 2007 and criticized the report for not included regional crime information.[16]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Bogan, Jesse (January 20, 2011). "Police say St. Louis crime numbers lowest since 1967". St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis). http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_54415090-65c0-5d30-92ac-e89951bd98ba.html.
- ^ a b c Population figures prior to 1970 only reflect decennial census reports; from 1970 to 2010, population figures reflect annual estimates and decennial census reports.
- ^ a b c d e f Uniform Crime Reports for the United States (1930-2010).
- ^ Prior to 1973, larceny of property worth less than $50 was not included in index crime totals but was reported to the FBI; however, the number here includes all reported larcenies.
- ^ Prior to 1979, arson was not included in index crime totals and was not reported to the FBI.
- ^ Prior to 1979, non-negligent manslaughter was not included in index crime totals but was reported to the FBI; however, the number here includes all reported murders and non-negligent manslaughters.
- ^ a b c d e f Rates are calculated per 100,000 residents.
- ^ Index crimes for 2010 included homicide/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, vehicle theft, and arson.
- ^ The police departments that reported data included those of Arnold, Ballwin, Bella Villa, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Bellerive, Bel-Nor, Bel-Ridge, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Breckenridge Hills, Brentwood, Bridgeton, Calverton Park, Charlack, Chesterfield, Clayton, Cool Valley, Country Club Hills, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Dellwood, Des Peres, Edmundson, Ellisville, Eureka, Ferguson, Flordell Hills, Florissant, Frontenac (includes Huntleigh and Westwood), Glendale, Glen Echo Park, Greendale, Hazelwood, Hillsdale, Jennings, Kirkwood, Ladue, Manchester, Maplewood, Maryland Heights, (includes Champ), Moline Acres, Northwoods, Norwood, Oakland, Olivette, Overland (includes Sycamore Hills), Pacific, Pagedale, Pasadena Park, Pine Lawn, Richmond Heights, Riverview, Rock Hill, Shrewsbury (includes Mackenzie), St. Ann, St. John, Sunset Hills, Town and Country, University City, Uplands Park, Velda City, Velda Village Hills, Vinita Park, Warson Woods, Webster Groves, Woodson Terrace, and St. Louis County Police (includes unincorporated St. Louis County, Blackjack, Clarkson Valley, Fenton, Grantwood Village, Green Park, Hanley Hills, Kinloch, Marlborough, Norwood Court, Pasadena Hills, St. George, Twin Oaks, Valley Park, Vinita Terrace, Wilbur Park, Wildwood, and Winchester).
- ^ The population figure shown for St. Louis County is the population of St. Louis County minus that of the three municipalities did not report crime statistics to the FBI in 2009.
- ^ For each year, data used in the ranking is from the previous year.
- ^ Morgan Quitno/CQ Press (1994-2010).
- ^ O'Malley Greenburg, Zach (23 April 2009). "America's Most Dangerous Cities". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/23/most-dangerous-cities-lifestyle-real-estate-dangerous-american-cities.html.
- ^ Elliott, Hannah (21 June 2011). "The Worst Cities For Auto Theft". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2011/06/20/worst-cities-auto-theft.html.
- ^ a b Richard Rosenfeld; Rachel Lauritsen (2008). "The Most Dangerous Crime Rankings". Contexts 7 (1): 66–67. http://contexts.org/articles/winter-2008/the-most-dangerous-crime-rankings/. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
- ^ Merlin, Michelle (1 December 2010). "St. Louis ranked again as most dangerous city". Student Life (Washington University) (St. Louis). http://www.studlife.com/news/2010/12/01/st-louis-ranked-again-as-most-dangerous-city/.
[edit] External links
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