The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(05-26-2015 01:20 PM)bronco89 Wrote:  thanks guys....interest takes on the situation. As an alum I am concerned about the "reputation" of K-Zoo and Western's campus. As a father, I just want to make sure he is safe.

Stop worrying. WMU IS SURROUNDED by middle class neighborhoods with pockets of low income housing.

The days of "ghettos" are over. There's low income housing in some very nice areas, and that's by design. Poverty in cities isn't nearly as concentrated as it used to be.

That's said, Western is surrounded Western is by Westwood, Arcadia, the Stewart St. Neighborhood, Winchell, and the old student ghetto (which has seen a lot of rejuvenation).

If anything I think the area is probably safer than it used to be.

(05-26-2015 10:03 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  Stop trying to infer anything into Natives more than I intended, which is to refer to them as natives, you pr1ck.

I'm not looking for you to write a book, 'How to make friends and influence people'.

My impression is that Edison is now a tougher neighborhood regarding violent crime than the north side. Some cool development going on "north of the tracks."

Kzoo Crime: http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/mi/kalamazoo/crime/

Safer than 7% of all other cities (hey, almost double digits!).

But, actually, Kzoo's crime has gone Down over the years, from 2000-2012: http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Kal...higan.html

Overall "score" breakdown (US city avg: 303; minus decimals):
2000-2012: 604, 628, 570, 410, 486, 575, 607, 525, 540, 506, 437

In Robberies & Burglaries, what I'd care most about personally:

Robberies: 189, 200, 158, 146, 178, 238, 302, 221, 204, 185, 165
Burglaries: 1195, 1366, 1171, 813, 1106, 1327, 1039, 1170, 1430, 1039, 835

An mLive article in 2013 said it went down slightly, too.

So crime has been down since 2000, it seems, even though it's had some rough years in-between.

I lived in the "Student Ghetto" for a time. I was woken up one night to police with guns drawn at Oak Street Market. That was almost 20 years ago. Guessing things aren't that much "rougher" now. As I go through town time to time, I still get the same vibe. Most problems in town take shape north of the downtown corridor. Most of the issues in the "student ghetto" are alchohol fueled/related issues.

I lived in the Student Ghetto for several years, back at the turn of the century. It was a bit worse than GR's Heritage Hill, which is the equivalent, from my experience. Thing is, in Kzoo you have it Really Separated by the railroad tracks. One could walk out of the bad part and walk into the better part, steal stuff, and run back to their grounds.

(05-27-2015 07:54 AM)BroncoPhilly Wrote:  

(05-26-2015 10:03 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  Stop trying to infer anything into Natives more than I intended, which is to refer to them as natives, you pr1ck.

I'm not looking for you to write a book, 'How to make friends and influence people'.

Starting with me we should cut him some slack. He's passionate about his beliefs and isn't afraid to share them. Too coarse for my taste and prone to jump to conclusions but hey I'm just one perspective.

(05-27-2015 12:54 PM)gobaseline Wrote:  

(05-27-2015 07:54 AM)BroncoPhilly Wrote:  

(05-26-2015 10:03 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  Stop trying to infer anything into Natives more than I intended, which is to refer to them as natives, you pr1ck.

I'm not looking for you to write a book, 'How to make friends and influence people'.

Starting with me we should cut him some slack. He's passionate about his beliefs and isn't afraid to share them. Too coarse for my taste and prone to jump to conclusions but hey I'm just one perspective.

The world needs those who run against the grain, as well. Everybody brings something to the mix, some just their thirst/appetite.

I try to bring Dirty.

But mostly I fail.

(05-27-2015 12:54 PM)gobaseline Wrote:  Starting with me we should cut him some slack. He's passionate about his beliefs and isn't afraid to share them. Too coarse for my taste and prone to jump to conclusions but hey I'm just one perspective.

Truth hurts.

I do believe that campus crime has actually dropped according to Campus Police.. we had a robbery in a dorm with a gun...First time for that..And probably the last...Western really clamped down on Dorm procedures...
Violent crime in the Edison area has dropped 40% in this last year....
Our children are still very safe on campus....

(05-27-2015 03:26 PM)broncojohnny Wrote:  I do believe that campus crime has actually dropped according to Campus Police.. we had a robbery in a dorm with a gun...First time for that..And probably the last...Western really clamped down on Dorm procedures...
Violent crime in the Edison area has dropped 40% in this last year....
Our children are still very safe on campus....

Do you live in Kzoo? If not, your perception and opinion are invalid.

Sincerely,

godoucheline

(05-27-2015 02:22 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  

(05-27-2015 12:54 PM)gobaseline Wrote:  Starting with me we should cut him some slack. He's passionate about his beliefs and isn't afraid to share them. Too coarse for my taste and prone to jump to conclusions but hey I'm just one perspective.

Truth hurts.

Alex, I'll take relevancy for $500 please.

(05-27-2015 10:50 AM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  My impression is that Edison is now a tougher neighborhood regarding violent crime than the north side. Some cool development going on "north of the tracks."

Correct. Edison and East Side are probably in rougher shape than the North Side these days.

(05-27-2015 05:24 PM)Cucumber Salad Wrote:  

Yes, I certainly do live here...Been here a long time...I'm just telling you what Channel 3 reported regarding a 40% decrease in Violent crime in the Edison neighborhood. and a report from Campus Police which clearly stated that crime on campus has decreased...
We had a couple of highly covered incidents last year...This might have skewed the impression of safety around campus....

(05-28-2015 09:11 AM)broncojohnny Wrote:  We had a couple of highly covered incidents last year...This might have skewed the impression of safety around campus....

Whatevs. I read about two incidence of on-campus armed robbery in the past two or three years. That clearly indicates campus are the surrounding neighborhoods are now unsafe!

Sincerely,

godoucheline

(05-26-2015 01:45 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  You could have left it at that and you would have been correct. Just because you read a couple news reports every few years of an armed robbery on campus doesn't mean the North Side natives have taken over.

So to not be guilty of implying as you stated, who are you specifically calling out that live on the north side, as natives?

Your choice in word.

All after numerous others posted including the originator who pointed out that the parents concern was not about lack of diversity or a generalization about race but specifically of potential violent criminal behavior, toward their child.

And apparently after you deleted another one of your well thought, tasteful and intelligent posts.

Now that you have written, not implied, that I am a racist, I'll ask who's the racist here?

Yes, they're natives. Kzoo natives. And I haven't deleted any posts. You're clearly in over your head here. Maybe you should try a little harder in practice. It's not as easy as whining about Chicago and Illinois liberals all the time, is it?

One should know that Kzoo isn't the best, even though I think it's better than yesteryear.

Here's the Top 10 most dangerous Cities in MI, with # of crimes per 1000 people, and it's violent-only crime rating on-the-side:

1. Flint, MI [83 - #1V]
2. Detroit, MI [79 - #3V]
3. Flint Township, MI [78 - #6V]
4. Mount Morris Township, MI [60 - #11V]
5. Ypsilanti, MI [58.08 - #9V]
6. Saginaw, MI [58.05 - #2V]
7. Inkster, MI [55 - #4V]
8. Kalamazoo, MI [51 - #8V]
9. Lincoln Park, MI [47 - #15V]
10. Monroe, MI [45 - #18V]

http://www.homesecurityshield.org/news/m...-michigan/

EDIT: In it's Top 20 Cities of crime in the US, it has Benton Harbor, MI as #4 in the nation! With 93 out of 1000 for crime. And Detroit at #9 in the nation (but what about FLINT?!).

So it looks like we'd actually have Kzoo bumped down to #9 thanks to Benton Harbor. And who knows what else they'd be missing...