Comments on: Crime Statistics in DC

By: Alexa

Alexa — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:50:08 +0000

Hi Keith. Forgive my paranoia if you were not commenting on my snarky “Clearly the right conclusion,” because it wasn’t really based on just the data.
BTW my “DC view” comes from being born in DC (Columbia Hospital for Women) and having lived in the metro area for over 30 years – plus having dated two DC cops. Oh, the stories I could tell you about cops assigned to NW.

By: John

John — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:49:39 +0000

In order to be more accurate, they should have presented the crime rate and not their number, the rate being the number of crimes divided with the number of inhabitants. Just like the conversion rate in PPC. The bigger the population number is, the more accurate the rate is.

By: Aaron Brazell

Aaron Brazell — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:02:53 +0000

Precisely. Truthiness doesn’t count in developing solutions.

By: Keith Casey

Keith Casey — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:58:15 +0000

Based on the limited data, your assumptions and conclusions are no more or less valid than any others put forth on this thread. I’m not sure how you can legitimately claim that yours are “clearly the right conclusion”… is there another more complete set of data you’re consider?

By: Alexa

Alexa — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:10:44 +0000

Did you come up with those conclusions on your own? That was entertaining yet scarey to think someone might actually come up with those.

I understand your point. Beyond that, I am curious about the breakdown of the types of crimes reported. But the keyword in this is reported.

If I was to assume anything based on this little bit of information, I would say that the people who live in the NE, SE and SW do not consider the police to be a good resource and are to be avoided in all but the most extreme circumstances. For those residents, petty crime is a fact of life and you deal with it without the police. For the snooty residents and tourists in NW, petty crime is something that you get indignant about and don’t hesitate to call someone to complain. It doesn’t mean more crime actually happens there, it just means more people bitch about it and expect something to be done about it.

That’s not really my world view, but it is perhaps my DC view. Clearly the right conclusion based on the data.

By: Addison PSF

Addison PSF — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:18:48 +0000

Did MSNBC acquire this simply to monetize the idea, or do they see value in how the news and information is acquired? Interesting post

By: Craigslist Search

Craigslist Search — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:09:49 +0000

What makes a tool like EveryBlock particularly powerful is its ability to transform the amount of information by applying geography, category, and context filters – keeping only relevant pieces that affect an individual’s life.

According to Adrian Holovaty, EverBlock leader,
“…EveryBlock in is current incarnation is only about 5 percent of what we want to do with it.”
I can only wander what the other 95%s is.

By: Tray Nelson

Tray Nelson — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:48:21 +0000

That is a pretty cool website. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a lot of cities so it isn’t that useful for me, however a neat tool to say the least.

I am assuming that normally democrats and republicans rarely cross paths except for in the NorthWest

By: Keith Casey

Keith Casey — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:34:01 +0000

Well, since these are *reported* crimes, you could ask some other questions:

* Are tourists are more likely to report crimes?
* Are tourists more likely to be victims/targeted?
* Are people in Northwest more likely to report crimes?
* What *types* of crimes make up each of these numbers? A murder is not the same as a Public Intoxication.

By: vinnie

vinnie — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:39:03 +0000

It’s been forever since I’ve been to DC for more than an airport layover or 95 traffic jam on my way up north, but from your map it looks like the NW part of the District is a larger area than any other. That might help explain the higher crime but I like your ideas better. :D

By: Aaron Brazell

Aaron Brazell — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:09:31 +0000

Bad analogies are more fun. It’s the American way.

By: Ali

Ali — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:59:15 +0000

Or it could be that there is probably around twice the area and twice the population than in northeast or southwest. Usually the simplest answer is the correct answer.

In healthcare, we have a system that has the lowest admin costs and that the participants loyally love – that would be medicare. So the simplest answer is to let everyone buy into medicare if they want to.

Or you could just make up really bad analogies.