Arkansas Blog

When one first takes up residence at Memphis he is afraid someone will shoot him. After several months living there he becomes afraid NO one will shoot him.

Little Rock is dangerous, without a doubt. It's long been a city of "haves" and "have nots." Periodically, the "have nots" get tired of their lot in life, resort to crime more than they normally do, and and violence ensues. Killing begats killing.

No city likes to be known to have a high homicide rate, and that will spur some reaction from law enforcement, but don't look for much to be done until there are killings west of I430.

Exactly! When (if) the 1st murder occurs west of 430, you will see some serious interest and changes! Committess will be formed, police added, studies conducted, out of town consultants will be flown in, etc, etc. But as long as it happens in the urban core, who gives a rat's *ss. Right?

I look upon the killings in Little Rock as more of a clensing than a curse. Then again I do live west of I-430.

I don't believe I have read anywhere or heard on the news that the possible rise in the crime rates of some of these southern cities may be related to the exodus from the city of New Orleans thanks to the Katrina disaster.

I would think that folks who were either criminally minded or just having such a hard time making ends meet that they would resort to killing and the like would be the first to desert the flooded city once things were brought under control.

New Orleans isn't the tourist mecca and easy target that it was pre-storm.

"When one first takes up residence at Memphis he is afraid someone will shoot him. After several months living there he becomes afraid NO one will shoot him."

Mr. Dentay, you are a genius. I am from Little Rock but now live in Memphis much to my dismay. I really was amused by your very succinct and accurate comment. BRAVO!

The only relevant comparison is the number of murders per 100,000 population. I'm afraid we lead Memphis.

Little Rock is not the only town in the state with crime problems. I 'm a tail gunner on a beer truck in Pine Bluff and things ain' t to good here either.........

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE MURDER RATE IN MEMPHIS, TN OR BUMFUZZLE, EGYPT is!

All that should matter to the LR Chief of Police is that there is a record busting murder spree going on in Rock City!

The damn mayor and police chief better quit making assinine statements or towns like Shreveport, Tulsa, etc. will be using their quotes to steal any convention and tourism business from LR.

Can't you just see the quotes.

"in LittleRock you won't be as dead as you would be in Memphis."

"In Little Rock your death will only be ananomily."

"In Little Rock the death rate isn't number 1 but they try harder."

"In Little Rock the reports of your death will be over exagerated"

Our new motto for the city could be, Bagdad is more dangerous for the time being!

I don't know why anyone would want to live west of I-430.

Even if the death rate was unquestionably higher in Little Rock, you are still better off in Little Rock. Everytime I cross that river when I return home, I fall in love with the city more. Imperfect yes, but to those of us who can really call it home it is like no other. There is none other that I hold so dear.

I guess the boys who want to build the new Hilton will think twice about putting it one block from the notorious Fowler Square Apartments, site of the latest statistic.

I look upon the killings in Little Rock as more of a clensing than a curse. Then again I do live west of I-430.

Posted by: Catmando | April 27, 2006 02:30 PM

I can't tell if you are kidding or not. Even if I had not lost a relative to homicide in LR this year, I would still find this extremely offensive.

Do you care to elaborate?

But when you wake up in Memphis, you are in Memphis.

I lived in Little Rock when it had its record homicide rate. I now live in Fayetteville, population roughly 65,000. Last week, we got our first homicide this year. Do the math.

I have nightmares that I have to move back to Little Rock. Aside from violent crime, there were just the mundane tedious crimes -- like having to get a new license plate every few months because mine kept getting stolen.

As a result, I could never warm up to the place.

On the bright side, this looks like one area in which LR is winning its "me, too" competition with Memphis.

Next, our $33 million+ faux historic ballpark will open....oh, LR's actual historic ballpark? Not sure of its fate...

little rock is dangerous but it is some cities that is worser. like Pine Bluff. pine bluff do some way gutter also so little rock is not the only place in arkansas that is real gutter. i think that pine bluff is worser than little rock because in pine bluff got more killings for no reason at all

Great grammer Tamekia! You represent the typical Ark. image that we try so hard to avoid. Although, I agree with you as a former resident of White Hall. (Pine Bluff suburb) I now live in Little Rock near Hillcrest and heard gunshots recently in my peaceful historic neigborhood (I'm afraid to write details) I'm sure it was drug related because I have seen A LOT of traffic in/out of this house. I'm sorry if any one feels that this is offensive but I too believe that many (not all) of the murders this year have been "a cleansing." I too had an aquaintence that was a victim this year. An unnamed sargent friend of mine with LRPD told me that at least 90% of the homicides have been drug related. Pine Bluff has a hisory of murders but Little Rock got rid of the gang related problems in the early 90's. The recent string of crime will increase unless something is done. If you pay attention you will see that the budget for the LRPD as well as every city department has drastically decreased including to grounding of the only LRPD helicopter because of the lack of funding despite an increase of population as well as tax revenue. I personally believe that some city leaders could be taking advantage of their position.(like Mayor Jim Dailey) I will only give City Mgr Bruce Moore credit for the success of the city despite the difference of our political views. I hope he is our next mayor. I'm glad I can post anonymously for now or I would probably be Little Rocks next homicide due to my last couple of comments. We do live in the south, and everything is still run by "good ole boy politics" whether you believe it or not but if we all work together we can dispose of the corruption and still keep a citizen friendly government. I know I got off of the topic subject but if you agree with what I've said I hope you will vote for Mitch (me) in the next city council election. (Nov '07) Thanks in advance!