Ten Most Dangerous American Cities

The FBI has come out with a listing of America’s most dangerous cities. Crime is overall down slightly, but these cities are still quite dangerous. The 2010 crime data shows violent crime rose in several of the largest and poorest cities in the U.S., particularly those which have been in decline for some time. Even when crime rates dropped, older urban areas still had more violent crime than other cities.

Coming in at number ten is Stockton, California, a city of about 292,047. Although the median income there is higher than the others on the infamous list, so is the jobless rate running nearly 18% at present. Stockton was rated as one of the most miserable cities to live in the country by Forbes in March, 2010.

Following Stockton was number nine which fell to Rockford, Illinois. Rockford has an unusually high violent crime rate for a city of its size. Most notably, the city has the fourth-highest rate of aggravated assault in the country. Following Rockford, at a solid number eight, was Baltimore, Maryland. “Charm City” had the eighth-highest rate of violent crime per capita in 2010 among cities with 100,000 or more residents, and the second highest east of the Mississippi. The Maryland city has some of the worst rates of dangerous offenses in the country. This includes the tenth-worst aggravated assault rate — and the fourth-worst murder rate in the country.

But at number one on the list is Flint, Michigan with a population of 109,245. The “winner” was just head of its neighbor Detroit. The number of violent crimes committed in Flint increased for all categories considered for this list between 2009 and 2010. Perhaps most notably, the number of murders in the city increased from 36 to 53. This moves the city from having the seventh-highest rate of homicide to the second-highest. The number of aggravated assaults increased from 1,529 to 1,579, a rate of 14.6 assaults per 1,000 residents, placing the city in the number one rank for rate of assaults. Some of the other notable cities that made the “loser list” were Little Rock, Ark.; St. Louis, Mo.; Memphis, Tenn.; New Haven, Conn.; and Oakland, Ca. So when considering the various locations, it is clear that the worst cities are spread out across the nation and not bunched up in one specific geographical location.

Given a choice, most people would either flee a city such as these or at least never considering moving themselves or their families there if there were any other choice. And there are many, because they keep their distance from places that feature high levels of violence and danger, who consider themselves relatively safe overall. The real truth is that there is no guaranteed safety anywhere in this life, or most importantly the next, outside of a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ (Romans 10:13, John 3:16).

Jesus put it as plainly as He could in Matthew 10:28-29. “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The entire world is a dangerous place and getting worse as the return of Christ draws nearer by the day. A spiritually seasoned Paul told his young son in the faith, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 3:1, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.” There is no place to hide from danger and the earthly and eternal results of human sin.

That reality is graphically displayed in Revelation chapter six. The passage describes a time when Jesus comes back again and the reactions of those who are not spiritually ready to face Him. Verse 15 begins, “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!'”

But there does remain an ultimate and sure “safe place” - one quickly and effectively related by the writer of Proverbs. First he spells out a simple, but wise, warning to all men regardless of where they reside and what their status in life might be. Proverbs 27:1 reminds, “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

And back in chapter eighteen of the same book, the Holy Spirit reminds all men and woman of the simple, most effective, and greatest protection plan mankind can ever experience. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

Bill Breckenridge