It's a puzzling question: How do cities become violent? What makes some cities more troubled than others and what can be done to tame them?
Think about Detroit: home to nearly 2 million people, this city features some of the highest rates of manslaughter, rape, aggravated assault, and burglary in the country. In 2010, there were 1,111 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and, as of Decmber 18th 2011, their have been 337 homicide victims this past year, up 13.5 percent.
Arson is another big problem in Detroit. During the night before Halloween, termed as Devil's Night, the streets of Detroit come alive, as unruly offenders light abandoned buildings on fire. The accounts of arson peaked in 1984, when there were 297 Devil's Night fires. In 2010, there were 104 fires on Halloween and the night before. When asked how citizens should prepare, a resident and community activist named Ernestine Gordon once said, "It's Devils Night. You have to treat it like it's going to explode."
How did Detroit get this way? To answer this question, we need to make the problem more manageable. We have to make it smaller. Momentarily, don't think of Detroit as a city; think of it as a person. Think of it as a troubled kid, much like the bully you remember from middle or high school.
Most bullies aren't inherently bad: they just come from troubled backgrounds. For instance, they may not have had a supportive teacher. Perhaps their families were unable to provide basic needs like food and shelter. Maybe their parents were abusive. All of these factors can be extremely difficult for anyone to overcome, and can mix together to create a youth who's predisposed to shoving other kids into lockers. While these factors don't excuse the violent behavior, they do help to explain it.
Cities suffer and act out the way bullies do, just on a much bigger scale. It's not about one disadvantaged boy or girl; it's about communities living in poverty. It's about lack of economic opportunity and unemployment rates of 20.5 percent. It is about droves of people (25 percent of the population over the last decade) deserting the city to escape the conditions. It is about having a history of violence. When these factors mix together, you have a city that's primed to explode - much like Detroit does on Devil's Night.
A city becomes at risk for violence when it is abused, mistreated, and struggling with hardship (financial or otherwise) - the same way a child can become violent.
Taming Detroit and Devil's Night
To help a youth resolve his violent tendencies, there are a number of things an adult can do to help. Some examples include forming a pro-social relationship with the youth, setting clear standards of behavior, or teaching skills that will help them to succeed in school and social situations.
Once again, cities operate the same way, but instead of one raindrop, we're talking about the entire storm. Key factors for reducing violent crime in US cities include:
- Involvement of the community in problem solving
- Readily available Social Service and mental health programs
- Investment in neighborhoods and schools
- Quick and effective responses to crime
- Police targeting gangs and crime "hotspots"
- Police use of modern technology
Although Detroit faces serious budget and schooling challenges, it is moving in the right direction. Police are spending more time and money targeting hotspots. They are working with local business owners. Technology is being used to analyze data, create a crime map, and set up cameras in the worst areas.
Perhaps most important is the community involvement. One example is the Angel's Night campaign: Detroit's response to Devil's Night. This last year, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing called upon citizens to volunteer their time to keep the city safe during the Halloween season. Thousands of volunteers stepped up and patrolled the streets, making Angel's Night one of the quietest and safest ones yet. There were 52 fires on the Saturday and Sunday nights right before Halloween-a 50 percent reduction from the previous year.
Cities become violent similar to the way people do. Additionally, a city's violent tendencies can be cured the same way people's are, just on a much greater scale. If the communities continue their involvement in the neighborhoods, schools, and prevention of crime, Detroit can and will make huge strides against violence and eventually put an end to the chaos.
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-Kathy Seifert-