EXCLUSIVE – Crime Watch: Birmingham drops, but still in Top 10 for crime ranking
By Wade KwonThe crime rate continues to drop in Birmingham, and with it, the city’s spot on the CQ Press’ annual city crime rankings released today. It fell three spots from No. 7 in 2009 to No. 10 this year.
The city has bounced around in the rankings in recent years: No. 8 in 2008 and No. 6 in 2007 and 2006.
Violent crimes have continued to fall in Birmingham and across the nation. Birmingham police chief A.C. Roper has been credited with much of the success in his 3-year tenure.
To date, Birmingham has had 51 homicides in 2010, putting it on pace for 57 by year’s end, compared to 72 homicides in 2009.
For comparison: In the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2009, Birmingham ranked No. 4 among cities with populations of 100,000 or more. It had been No. 3 in 2008.
CQ Press, based in Washington, uses FBI crime data for murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft to compile its crime rate rankings.
Other Alabama cities ranked:
- 99. Montgomery (previously No. 152)
- 106. Mobile (previously No. 136, making it the only Alabama city to climb in the rankings)
- 109. Huntsville (previously No. 95)
- 183. Tuscaloosa (previously No. 140)
St. Louis topped the list at No. 1.
Metro rankings
In looking at the 2010 Metropolitan Crime Rate Rankings:
- 19. Mobile (previously No. 20)
- 28. Anniston-Oxford (not previously ranked)
- 35. Birmingham-Hoover (previously No. 21)
- 67. Montgomery (previously No. 101)
- 80. Tuscaloosa (previously No. 64)
- 122. Huntsville (previously No. 123)
- 150. Gadsden (previously No. 141)
- 219. Florence-Muscle Shoals (not previously ranked)
(Not available: Auburn, Decatur, Dothan.)
Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., is No. 1 on the list.
See, print or download the City and Metropolitan Crime Rate Rankings for 2010 below.
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Visit our Crime Watch page.
Monday, November 22, 2010, 7:53 am
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