New report includes 2007 data; city officials decline comment
Albany residents were more likely to be the victims of serious crimes in 2006 than in 2005, but our community is far from becoming another Detroit, America’s newly crowned “most dangerous” city, according to a new report.
The bad news is that Albany’s homicide rate in 2007, which is much worse than 2006, wasn’t contemplated in the study.
Albany was the third most dangerous metropolitan-area city among seven in Georgia, and the 104th most dangerous city among 378 in the United States in 2005, according to CQ Press, a Washington, D.C., independent research publishing company.
Crime statistics for 2007 – in which 11 homicides have occurred, compared to eight during all of 2006 – were not included in the study.
The Albany Journal sought comment and information on the crime rankings Tuesday from Police Chief James Younger and his boss, City Manager Alfred Lott, but didn’t get a response.
Formerly published by Morgan Quitno Press, “City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America” is in its 14th edition. The 2006 rankings were for activities that primarily occurred during the administration of former Interim Police Chief Bob Boren, who ran the police department for all of 2005; and former Interim City Manager Lemuel Edwards, the Albany Water, Gas & Light Commission general manager who ran city hall for nearly nine months of 2005.
The new ranking is all based almost entirely on the performance of the Police Department under Younger, who was hired in February 2006. Lott was hired in September 2005.
A division of Congressional Quarterly, CQ Press compiles books with statistics of crime rates, health care, education, and other categories, ranking United States’ cities and states. The statistics are used for various purposes by government agencies, researchers and media outlets. Most cities with at least 75,000 are included in the crime rakings; however, Augusta, Ga., is not included because it did not provide crime data to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to CQ Press. Final 2006 statistics, released by the FBI in September, were used to determine the rankings.
The United States’ most dangerous city, according to CQ Press, is Detroit, and the safest is Mission Viejo, Calif. Atlanta is listed as Georgia’s most dangerous city, followed by Macon, Albany, Savannah, Columbus, Athens and Roswell.
The CQ Press rankings are based on a city’s rate for six basic crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft. More information on the ranking is available at www. cqpress.com.
Here we go again with Lott,even tho his crimes are misdemeanor crimes,they are still crimes. How the hell does he keep getting away with all this? I myself see him as no better than anyone else that commits a crime, no matter how small. It is still a crime. And what about the bigger crimes he has committed? He and the Police Dept.(not all of them) investigate the cases they feel will put them in the limelight. I know of a 3 year old case that they refused to investigate,and have police papers to prove it. But because it included some people from high places,or high friends,no investigation was done. But it s not over till the fat lady sings. Make all of the Gov. officials if that’s what you can call them do theirjobs. No matter who it is against. A crime is a crime. No matter who you are, or what office you hold. Look at Nathan,see what he got. Expect more from our corrupt Albany leaders.