The statistics (like all good studies with statistics) have been improperly manipulated. I believe it is possible to "feel safe in your neighborhood during the day" and still have violent crime and drug problems, most likely during the night?

While perception and reality may be off, I believe the statistics themselves are as well, as I know many crimes go unreported.

While reporting crime problems can cause undue fear and panic, not reporting causes a false sense of security. Which is worse?

Peter, I think you're right. There is a huge gulf between looking at crime stats and experiencing crime personally. Plus it's hard to turn numbers into tangible results. What does it mean that crime is down -7% really? Are you 7% less likely to be the victim of a crime now? Maybe. But if you're alone walking along a deserted street at 3AM, does that stat still apply? Are you 7% safer? I don't know the answer to that.

But most City residents at least know someone who's been the victim of a crime and that is much more tangible than a statistic. So, the data, which is culled from a large sample size, is immediately negated by one crime's personal impact on a person.

I'm not saying that's right or wrong; it is what it is. But I do think that no matter how powerful the stat, it's unlikely that the City government will convince many residents that crime is going down and that the city is safer unless people actually start to feel safer outside their neighborhoods.

So if you read the survey, 88% feel that illegal drug use is a serious or very serious problem it the city. 87% feel violent crime is a serious or very serious problem. The safe in the neihborhood stat is a bit misleading and most people would not live very long in a place they felt unsafe in during the day.

Crime down, feel safe in your neighborhood during the day must be talking about Canton, Fells Point, or Federal Hill the Baltimore I know Eastside and Westside is not safe either in the day or night

This unwarranted and costly survey that says 92% people of people questioned feel safe in Baltimore is faulty, insane and incredulous. In mathematical terms the reason Baltimore have such a small revenue and tax base is previous homeowners in the city left in the thousands because of the crime. What homeowner wants to come out their front door and see people selling drugs? People selling and buying drugs is a crime whether they are apprehended or not at that particular moment. The media is also a factor about the safety of the city. The media from its existing to present time has always had better ratings putting blacks in a negative light. Cable news ratings would fall if they stop citing president Obama in a negative light. The real issue is black on black crime. As long as it is black on black crime it will not be a priority to resolve the safety issue. Corporate crime that affects more people is rarely in the headlines. The idea to bring crime to the forefront only when somebody of prominence or a value area is affected is counterproductive and insensitive. This is the history of uneducated and unemployed blacks concentrated and living in inner cities that they are on their own. Unemployed and uneducated citizens produces only negative results for any city. This culture have existed since the day blacks moved to the inner cities. Not one black mayor or black president can change this culture of society. Thousands of existing vacant residential properties and faulty school buildings with recently built billion dollar stadiums standing in inner cities is just one example of the insensitivity and madness of this society. This ill society is still fighting this 1860 civil war without guns, but with politics. The only way this culture will change is this nation come together as a whole and produce results that uneducated and employed blacks in the inner cities will be given a #1 priority for a proper education and value jobs. We must learn from history. I pray to God this will happen soon.
Enrique-eudake@hotmail.com