How Metro Crime Rates Are Fundamentally Flawed
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2/1/2013
Unfortunately, demographics of metro centers are to broad and general to give a clear & concise measurement. Case in point is the Steubenville, Ohio / Weirton, West Virginia Metropolitan Area. Anyone living within a one hundred mile radius will tell you of Steubenville's notorious reputation for crime. That's both blue collar and white collar crime.
While it is common for weekly shootings , rapes, and other violent crimes in the 43952 zip code, it is very rare of the similar crimes in Weirton, West Virginia. Steubenville has many street gangs involved in the drug trade and has a storied reputation of police and political corruption.
The town of Steuebnville uses the watered down statistics of crime from the metro for their advantage. Imagine lumping together Manhattan with Harlem or Compton with Palm Springs. So, before you decide to shell out cash on a publication for Places Rated, remember they do not go out of their way to break down the zip codes and often it is more like an area code.
Bp | Weirton, WV