over run with crime, drugs, gangs, and poverty

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8/13/2011
The Lincoln connection and historical sites are wonderful but what could have been a very nice town was poorly managed and almost no preventive measures taken to keep Chicago influence out. The crime rate is ridiculous and drugs are everywhere. Gangs from Chicago use this town as a connection point, recruiting ground, and hide away when things get hot in Chicago which all makes for easy influence on Springfield youth. Add in poverty, a abysmal education system, and confusing city/county jurisdiction lines and you got all that is needed for a city that has higher violent crime rate than Chicago, New Orleans, or NYC. There is also very little to do there and with all the poverty and gang influence many parts of town look exceptionally trashy.
jon | Pueblo, CO