A Detroit Native's Take on the 'Most Dangerous Cities' List

The FBI released information from and a study using FBI data conducted by an independent organization naming Detroit as the most dangerous city in the nation. It has surpassed St. Louis. As a native born Detroiter, this truthfully does not surprise me however it does sadden me. I do not live in Detroit rather an hour north in the suburbs but I have visited the city many times and while the city does have a lot to offer and has made many improvements in the last five years it still has a long way to go.

Detroit has been through rough times in the past five years with the struggle of the automotive industry there has been a rise in unemployment which is currently at 7.7% as of October 2007 per the State of Michigan website compared to the national October 2007 average of 4.7% posted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.The rise in unemployment has also created a rise in home foreclosures and bankruptcy in the State of Michigan as well.

Home foreclosures in the State of Michigan have also been greatly affected by the shift in the economy. An article published by RealtyTrac.com outlines the real estate foreclosure market for the third quarter 2007 it lists Detroit as the second biggest foreclosure location in the country only second to Stockton California. Per the article, "A total of 25,708 foreclosure filings on 16,079 properties were reported in the metro area during the quarter, more than twice the number of filings reported in the previous quarter." These are some frightening statistics especially since the numbers doubled in just one quarter.

All of these reasons are why Detroit in my opinion has been labeled the most dangerous city on the country. In desperate economic times people turn to crime in order to put food on the tables for their families. Don't get me wrong I know not all of these people are doing this to survive some are just bad willed people but I still believe the economy is the main reason for the downward spiral of Detroit.