Crime and social issues of St. Louis, Missouri

General

The city of St. Louis has one of the highest per-capita crime rates in the United States.

According to FBI statistics it ranked third in 2005 in the country's highest murder rates for cities above 250,000 (trailing Baltimore, Maryland and Detroit, Michigan).

According to Morgan Quitno's "America's safest/most dangerous cities" report, [ [http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm City Crime Rankings by Population Group ] ] St. Louis has ranked among nation's worst three in per capita crime - 3rd in 2000, 3rd in 2001, 1st in 2002, 2nd in 2003, 3rd in 2004, 3rd in 2005, and 1st again in 2006. [http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2006/10/30/509729.html&cvqh=itn_dangerous]

The Morgan Quitno report has been criticized for its methodology by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the city's mayor. [ [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6406766 NPR: Study Ranks St. Louis as Most Dangerous City ] ] The report does not adjust city rankings to account for whether or not suburban areas (often affluent, low-crime areas) are included within the city's legal boundaries. When comparing crime rates by Metropolitan Statistical Areas, defined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include suburban areas, St. Louis ranks much lower.Fact|date=February 2007

egregation

Historically, St. Louis has been a de-facto segregated city. The City's African-American population has been concentrated in North St. Louis. While some North St. Louis neighborhoods such as Baden, Penrose, and North Pointe are stable and have a large number of middle-class residents, many northside neighborhoods suffer from poverty, unemployment, crime and dilapidated housing. Many white St. Louisans live in better-off south St. Louis City or have moved into the better-off suburbs (so-called white flight).Fact|date=February 2007 In an attempt to counter this trend, St. Louis has implemented an integration program for schools: some inner city African-American students are bused into St. Louis County schools, and, in exchange, some County students are bused into City magnet schools.Fact|date=February 2007 (When St. Louis City schools lost their accreditation, many of the county schools stopped bussing students into the city.)

These historic patterns of segregation are starting to break down. For the past 25 years, St. Louis has a number of successful integrated neighborhoods in the "central corridor" stretching from Soulard and Lafayette Square near the Mississippi River to the Central West End near Forest Park. More recently, a number of near southside neighborhoods, especially around Tower Grove Park, have also successfully integrated. These areas have seen an influx of African-American residents, as well as Vietnamese residents and recent immigrant groups. Since the upheavals in the former Yugoslavia, many Bosnian refugees have been settled in South St. Louis City, particularly in the Bevo neighborhood. Although white, they have brought a minority religion (most are Muslim). They have been responsible for an upturn in the economic situation there as they have opened stores and restaurants and other businesses in abandoned storefronts. Many of the suburbs in North St. Louis County became more integrated during the 1990's. Indeed, the 2000 Census revealed that more African-Americans live in St. Louis County than live in St. Louis City. Of the African-American residents in the City, less than half live north of Delmar Boulevard, the traditional boundary for "North St. Louis."

Pollution

The whole St. Louis area has been trying to fix its pollution problem. Missouri requires gasoline stations in the metro area to serve a special, reformulated gasolineFact|date=March 2008. Most cars owned by residents of St. Louis and the counties of St. Louis, Saint Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin must pass an automobile pollution test every other year.

Healthcare costs

As of July 1, 2005, the city of St. Louis extended healthcare benefits to the domestic partners of all city employees, including same-sex partners and others living in committed but unmarried relationships, as well as children of such families. One of the chief criticisms of this measure was the increased cost; however, the City has stated that there will be no increased cost, because the City continues to pay directly only for the coverage of the employee.

References

ee also

*Alcohol laws of Missouri

External links

*St. Louis, Missouri: information from answers.com [http://www.answers.com/topic/st-louis-missouri]