Morgan Quitno
Encyclopedia
Morgan Quitno Press is a research and publishing company based in Lawrence
, Kansas
, which compiles books with statistics of crime rates, health care, education, and other categories, ranking cities and states in the United States
. Among the major categories are "Smartest State", "Most Dangerous State", "Most Dangerous City", "Most Dangerous Metro Area", "Most Livable State", "Healthiest State", and "Most Improved State"; some information is per capita while some is overall. In July 2007 Morgan Quitno was acquired by CQ Press, a division of Congressional Quarterly Inc.
. Their ranking of jurisdictions in terms of "safety" has been criticized for faulty methodology and inappropriate use of data by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, the American Society of Criminology
, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Cities of Illinois
are not included in this ranking, due to a disparity in the way Illinois State police and the FBI report rape
cases. Other cities may be excluded because of lack of some data.
In October 2007 the American Society of Criminology
, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation asked the publisher to reconsider promotion of the book — specifically, "their inaccurate and inflammatory press release labeling cities as 'safest' and 'most dangerous'" — because the rankings are "baseless and damaging." In November 2007 the executive board of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) approved a resolution opposing the development of city crime rankings from FBI Uniform Crime Reports (UCRs). The resolution states,
The U.S. Conference of Mayors criticized the "Most Dangerous Cities" list, saying the annual city-by-city crime rankings are "distorted and damaging to cities' reputations." In addition, it noted specific flaws in the methodology, for instance, its weighting of murder as the same as auto theft.
In addition, the Conference criticized Quitno's "Most Dangerous Cities" ranking because it did not adjust rankings of cities with wide-area city limits, such as Houston and Jacksonville, compared to cities with smaller city territory, such as St. Louis and Atlanta. Houston's apparent city crime statistics, for instance, are diluted because of lower crime in affluent areas within its broad city limits, whereas almost all the low-crime, affluent areas of the St. Louis metropolitan area are outside its much smaller city limits. The city area constitutes only 12.5% of its metro area. If data from adjacent suburbs were included in assessing crime in St. Louis city, its ranking would fall far down the dangerous cities list, with no actual change in number of individual crimes or personal safety. Metro area, rather than city, rankings include all suburbs for all MSAs, and therefore could be considered more valid.
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, which compiles books with statistics of crime rates, health care, education, and other categories, ranking cities and states in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Among the major categories are "Smartest State", "Most Dangerous State", "Most Dangerous City", "Most Dangerous Metro Area", "Most Livable State", "Healthiest State", and "Most Improved State"; some information is per capita while some is overall. In July 2007 Morgan Quitno was acquired by CQ Press, a division of Congressional Quarterly Inc.
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
. Their ranking of jurisdictions in terms of "safety" has been criticized for faulty methodology and inappropriate use of data by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, the American Society of Criminology
American Society of Criminology
The American Society of Criminology is an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency...
, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Products
- State Rankings - comprehensive livability of each State. Annual Most Livable State Award is given to #1 State in this ranking.
- Health Care State Ranking - limited to and more detailed in health care. #1 State is awarded annual Healthiest State Award each year.
- Crime State Rankings - limited to and more detailed in crime. Best State is awarded annual Safest State Award while worst State is tabbed as Most Dangerous State.
- Education State Rankings - limited to and more detailed in K-12 education. Best State is awarded annual Smartest State Award.
- City Crime Rankings - city and metro area version of Crime State Rankings mentioned above. Safest City, Safest Metro, Most Dangerous City, and Most Dangerous Metro are ranked based on the data on this rankings.
- State Trends - shows trend of each State data. Most Improved State decided based on the data. Last edition was in 2007.
Evaluated Cities & Metro Areas
- Cities assessed - population of 75,000+
- Metro areas assessed - all, as defined by US Census Bureau (no minimum population)
Assessed crimes
- murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
- rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
- robberyRobberyRobbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
- assaultAssaultIn law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
- burglaryBurglaryBurglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
- automobile theftMotor vehicle theftMotor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
Methodology
- Calculate crime rate (number of cases per pop. 100,000) of each 6 crimes based on previous year's FBI data.
- Compare these rates with U.S. average
- Calculate Crime Index based on Morgan Quitno's equation.
- Rank cities and metros by their Crime Index.
Criticism
The FBI recommends against use of its crime statistics for directly comparing cities as Morgan Quitno does in its "Most Dangerous Cities" rankings. This is due to the many factors that influence crime, such as population density and the degree of urbanization, modes of transportation of highway system, economic conditions, and citizens' attitudes toward crime.Cities of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
are not included in this ranking, due to a disparity in the way Illinois State police and the FBI report rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
cases. Other cities may be excluded because of lack of some data.
In October 2007 the American Society of Criminology
American Society of Criminology
The American Society of Criminology is an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency...
, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation asked the publisher to reconsider promotion of the book — specifically, "their inaccurate and inflammatory press release labeling cities as 'safest' and 'most dangerous'" — because the rankings are "baseless and damaging." In November 2007 the executive board of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) approved a resolution opposing the development of city crime rankings from FBI Uniform Crime Reports (UCRs). The resolution states,
"These rankings represent an irresponsible misuse of the data and do groundless harm to many communities" and "work against a key goal of our society, which is a better understanding of crime-related issues by both scientists and the public."
The U.S. Conference of Mayors criticized the "Most Dangerous Cities" list, saying the annual city-by-city crime rankings are "distorted and damaging to cities' reputations." In addition, it noted specific flaws in the methodology, for instance, its weighting of murder as the same as auto theft.
In addition, the Conference criticized Quitno's "Most Dangerous Cities" ranking because it did not adjust rankings of cities with wide-area city limits, such as Houston and Jacksonville, compared to cities with smaller city territory, such as St. Louis and Atlanta. Houston's apparent city crime statistics, for instance, are diluted because of lower crime in affluent areas within its broad city limits, whereas almost all the low-crime, affluent areas of the St. Louis metropolitan area are outside its much smaller city limits. The city area constitutes only 12.5% of its metro area. If data from adjacent suburbs were included in assessing crime in St. Louis city, its ranking would fall far down the dangerous cities list, with no actual change in number of individual crimes or personal safety. Metro area, rather than city, rankings include all suburbs for all MSAs, and therefore could be considered more valid.
Safest Cities
- Huntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
- 1994 - Irvine, CaliforniaIrvine, CaliforniaIrvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
- 1995 - Amherst, New YorkAmherst, New YorkAmherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
- 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 - Newton, MassachusettsNewton, MassachusettsNewton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
- 1999, 2004, 2005 - Brick, New Jersey - 2006
- Mission Viejo, CaliforniaMission Viejo, CaliforniaMission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size...
- 2007 - Ramapo, New YorkRamapo, New YorkRamapo , formerly known as New Hempstead and then Hampstead, is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States located north of New Jersey; southeast of Orange County, New York; south of the Town of Haverstraw and west of the Town of Clarkstown and the Town of Orangetown...
- 2008 - Colonie, New York - 2009, 2010
Most Dangerous Cities
- Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
- 1994, 1995 - Newark, New JerseyNewark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
- 1996, 1997 - Gary, IndianaGary, IndianaGary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
- 1998, 1999 - Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
- 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007 - Camden, New JerseyCamden, New JerseyThe city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
- 2004, 2005, 2009 - St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
- 2002, 2006, 2010 - New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
- 2008
Safest and Most Dangerous Metropolitan Areas of 2010
| Safest 25 | Most Dangerous 25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glens Falls, NY | 1 | Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI M.D. |
| 2 | Logan, UT-ID | 2 | Pine Bluff, AR |
| 3 | State College, PA | 3 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR |
| 4 | Provo Provo, Utah Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south... -Orem, UT |
4 | Lake Charles, LA |
| 5 | Appleton, WI | 5 | Lawton, OK |
| 6 | Rockingham County, NH M.D. | 6 | Hot Springs, AR |
| 7 | Eau Claire, WI | 7 | Flint, MI |
| 8 | Edison, NJ M.D. | 8 | Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... -Paradise, NV |
| 9 | St. George, UT | 9 | Little Rock, AR |
| 10 | Harrisonburg, VA | 10 | Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR |
| 11 | Nassau-Suffolk, NY M.D. | 11 | Brunswick, GA |
| 12 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 12 | Oakland Oakland, California Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724... -Fremont, CA M.D. |
| 13 | Columbus, IN | 13 | Jackson, TN |
| 14 | Corvallis, OR | 14 | Pinewood, NY |
| 15 | Fond du Lac, WI | 15 | Florence, SC |
| 16 | Kingston, NY | 16 | Miami Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... -Dade County, FL |
| 17 | Sheboygan, WI | 17 | Fayetteville, NC |
| 18 | Wausau, WI | 18 | Little Lake, TN |
| 19 | Medford, OR | 19 | Mobile, AL |
| 20 | Bangor, ME | 20 | Albuquerque, NM |
| 21 | Burlington Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal.... -South Burlington, VT |
21 | Bakersfield, CA |
| 22 | Lancaster, PA | 22 | Battle Creek, MI |
| 23 | Lewiston Lewiston, Maine Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine... -Auburn, ME |
23 | Columbus, GA-AL |
| 24 | Carson City, NV | 24 | Detroit (greater), MI |
| 25 | Poughkeepsie, NY | 25 | Baton Rouge, LA |
Safest and Most Dangerous Cities of 2010
| Safest 25 | Most Dangerous 25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colonie, NY | 1 | St. Louis, MO |
| 2 | O'Fallon, MO | 2 | Camden, NJ |
| 3 | Ramapo, NY | 3 | Detroit, MI |
| 4 | Mission Viejo, CA | 4 | Flint, MI |
| 5 | Clarkstown, NY | 5 | Oakland, CA |
| 6 | Amherst, NY | 6 | Richmond, CA |
| 7 | Lake Forest, CA | 7 | Cleveland, OH |
| 8 | Cary, NC | 8 | Compton, CA |
| 9 | Newton, MA | 9 | Gary, IN |
| 10 | Irvine, CA | 10 | Lynwood, CA |
| 11 | Orem, UT | 11 | Baltimore, MD |
| 12 | Sugar Land, TX | 12 | Memphis, TN |
| 13 | Troy, MI | 13 | New Orleans, LA |
| 14 | Frisco, TX | 14 | Jackson, MS |
| 15 | Toms River Township, NJ | 15 | Little Rock, AR |
| 16 | Simi Valley, CA | 16 | Baton Rouge, LA |
| 17 | Gilbert, AZ | 17 | Buffalo, NY |
| 18 | Thousand Oaks, CA | 18 | New Haven, CT |
| 19 | St. George, UT | 19 | Hartford, CT |
| 20 | Greece, NY | 20 | Dayton, OH |
| 21 | Allen, TX | 21 | Kansas City, MO |
| 22 | Brick Township, NJ | 22 | Washington D.C |
| 23 | Centennial, CO | 23 | Newark, NJ |
| 24 | Murrieta, CA | 24 | Cincinnati, OH |
| 25 | Round Rock, TX | 25 | Atlanta, GA |
External links
- Morgan Quitno
- CQ Press City Crime Rankings, 14th Edition
- FBI published data Crime in the United States (CIUS)
- NPR's On the Media examins the credibility of the America's Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities rankings in an interview with Criminologist Dr. Richard Rosenfeld
- American Society of Criminology (ASC) approved a resolution opposing the development of city crime rankings from FBI Uniform Crime Reports (UCRs).
- The U.S. Conference of Mayors Challenges City Crime Rankings
- Why city crime rankings offer a misleading picture, by Richard Rosenfeld, Curators Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, USA Today, November 29, 2007
- Area group fights 'crime' label, By Jeremy Kohler, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 18 November 2007
- Disputed analysis of FBI stats: Detroit is most dangerous city, Wood TV Channel 8, Grand Rapids, MI, November 18, 2007
- Experts say 'most dangerous city' rankings twist numbers, CNN November 18, 2007