Detroit and Flint are consistently ranked among the most dangerous cities in the country and the state by independent research agencies. But are these statistics about the level of crime in Detroit and Flint reliable?
The Research about Crime in Detroit and Flint
Most of the organizations that rank cities’ crime levels use FBI statistics combined with population and geographical size. Researchers also base their conclusions on the types of crimes and the frequency with which they occurred.
There are no regular standards, so while some researchers may place homicides at a higher level than some other crimes, for example, others might not. Many of them factor population into their rankings and will divide their results based on the size of each community.
While some of the research is interesting to read, as with anything backed by statistics, you may consider scrutinizing the methods and purpose of the research with care before making your own conclusions.
In June 2018, Safewise released its research that showed Detroit was the 10th most dangerous city in the United States, while Muskegon Heights came in at No. 19, Benton Harbor at No. 23, Highland Park at 27, Ecorse at 37, and Flint at No. 41. However, Forbes placed Detroit at No. 1 and Flint at No. 4 for four years in a row, up to 2017.
As a result of its own research, Niche gave Detroit a grade of “D+” regarding crime and safety, noting that 2,039 violent crimes and 4,723 property crimes occurred in one year. Flint earned a “C-” with 1,563 violent crimes and 3,406 property crimes.
Beyond the Research
While crime in Detroit and Flint remains high, many strides have been made to improve the city of Detroit in recent years, and communities throughout Michigan are feeling the positive vibes. Southeast Michigan residents have a sense of pride in the city of Detroit that the numbers simply don’t reflect.
