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Stats Crime

Interactive Map Exposes the World's Most Murderous Places 187

Posted by timothy from the mustn't-talk-about-the-neighbors-like-that dept.
Lashdots writes with this selection from a Fast Company story: In 2012, 437,000 people were killed worldwide, yielding a global average murder rate of 6.2 per 100,000 inhabitants. A third of those homicides occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, home to just 8% of the world's population. But data on violent death can be difficult to obtain, since governments are often reluctant to share their homicide statistics. What data is available is sometimes inconsistent and inconclusive. Adds Lashdots: To make this data clear and to better address the problem of global homicide, a new open-source visualization tool, the Homicide Monitor, tracks the total number of murders and murder rates per country, broken down by gender, age and, where the data is available, the type of weapon used, including firearms, sharp weapons, blunt weapons, poisoning, and others. For the most violent region in the world, the 40 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, you can also see statistics by state and city. That geographic specificity helps to underscore an important point about murders, says Robert Muggah, the research director and program coordinator for Citizen Security at the Rio de Janeiro-based Igarapé Institute, in the above-lined story: "In most cities, the vast majority of violence takes place on just a few street corners, at certain times of the day, and among specific people."
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Interactive Map Exposes the World's Most Murderous Places More

Interactive Map Exposes the World's Most Murderous Places

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  • Depends how it's counted. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 09, 2015 @02:06PM (#49654191)

    If a gang kills 6 rival gang members in one incident, does it count as 6 murders or 1? I'd argue that such a place would actually be "safer" than having 6 independent murders taking place.

    Same goes for terrorism. If a bomb goes off killing a dozen, is it "murder" is does it fall under another category?

    Also, access to emergency healthcare is a HUGE factor. If you get stabbed in the middle of nowhere, you're a goner, if you get stabbed next to a hospital (most major western cities) and care gets to you while you're still breathing, there's a pretty good chance you'll live. So lower homicide rate doesn't tell you much about the rate of such incidents.

    • When Ronald Regan got shot, it was in an inner-city area where the nearest hospital had lots of experience with gunshot wounds. That probably made all the difference for him.

      Had he been in the suburbs or Hyannisport , it might have ended much differently.

    • If a gang kills 6 rival gang members in one incident, does it count as 6 murders or 1? I'd argue that such a place would actually be "safer" than having 6 independent murders taking place.

      And how exactly would you argue that? Please show me one place where gang violence is the dominant contributor to the death rate that's an otherwise great place to live.

  • "governments are often reluctant to share" (Score:3)

    by rockout ( 1039072 ) on Saturday May 09, 2015 @02:17PM (#49654231)
    Or, in the case of many regions (parts of Africa or the Middle East spring to mind) there's often no government presence whatsoever in areas where there's a whole lot of killin' going on.
  • "In most cities, the vast majority of violence takes place on just a few street corners, at certain times of the day, and among specific people." This literally sounds like the easiest policing job ever if they know all this...

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Oh, but that could be construed as racial profiling. Can't have that.

    • "In most cities, the vast majority of violence takes place on just a few street corners, at certain times of the day, and among specific people."

      This literally sounds like the easiest policing job ever if they know all this...

      Better yet, some tech-savvy entrepreneur could use the data to make a tour guide, so you could go see people kill each other in quaint places. Kind of like eco-tourism... nature red in tooth, claw, switchblade, and machinegun.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        Not so much people but environmental conditions, the more lax the environmental laws the worse the problem and it seems it is substantially related to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L... [wikipedia.org]. It is becoming apparent that no amount was safe https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/healt... [nhmrc.gov.au] as further studies are indicating.

        In fact if you look at the whole pseudo conservative pseudo Christian revival (people who claim to be something they behave nothing like) it is all likely tied to lead poisoning (pay close attention to

    • ""In most cities, the vast majority of violence takes place on just a few street corners, at certain times of the day, and among specific people."

      'This literally sounds like the easiest policing job ever if they know all this...'

      Exactly. Just round the corners and off you go.

  • Government intrusion into people's lives (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Strangely, that murder map correlates quite nicely to areas of the world with the weakest governments. What say you, libertards?

  • Honduran Gun Control Laws. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by kenai_alpenglow ( 2709587 ) on Saturday May 09, 2015 @02:35PM (#49654291)
    Honduras (#1 city) requires each firearm to be licensed (& renewed every 4 years). Can only have 5 firearms, each must be registered (including ballistics info). Only allowed on private property, not carried in public. Automatic & "Assault" weapons are prohibited. Must be purchased from "La Armeria" (govt run). Sounds like what gun control folks dream about. Obviously it works...
    • Also, what the heck is the tech connection here?

      • "Also, what the heck is the tech connection here?"

        People can use their computer to find out in which city to live, instead of getting shot.

        Where I live, (Luxembourg, 0.8 murders per 100.000) there's usually only between 4 and 10 wives a year who get killed at home by their husbands, very seldom by gun. Some years it's the other way round.

        Heck, somebody tried to kill Gaston Glock here, the guy who manufactures the 'plastic' pistols and appropriately the moron used a plastic mallet to hit him in the head 7 ti

      • "Also, what the heck is the tech connection here?"
        These are all the places where you want a cheap Android phone.

    • Re:Honduran Gun Control Laws. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 09, 2015 @02:52PM (#49654385)

      1) Honduras is a country.
      2) Honduras was at the top of the murder list long before they enacted the gun control laws you mention.
      3) Honduras has one of the weakest, most corrupt governments in the world. It has trouble enforcing even its most trivial laws.

      So, country has runaway gun violence and enacts restrictive gun laws in response...but country's government lacks resources to enforce said laws and runaway gun violence continues.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Honduras changed the gun law in 2007 to be more strict, because of the bad situation. And from the data you can see that there is a huge drop in deaths somewhere between 2011 and 2013. They seem to bulieve that there are still a lot of illegal guns in the country that the civilians and criminals got in the 1980s.

      From this it looks like the law has a very good chance of working (remember that it always takes a while for a new law to start affecting), but obviously we would need more data to be sure. And we a

    • laws also have to be enforced

      you can pass any law you want, but if no one enforces them, the laws on the book don't mean anything

    • Honduras (#1 city) requires each firearm to be licensed (& renewed every 4 years). Can only have 5 firearms, each must be registered (including ballistics info). Only allowed on private property, not carried in public. Automatic & "Assault" weapons are prohibited. Must be purchased from "La Armeria" (govt run). Sounds like what gun control folks dream about. Obviously it works...

      So the problem is that they have too few guns each?

      Gotcha. I imagine being able to own 10 instead of "only" 5 would halve the homicide rate, yeah?

  • How much of this is due to their providing illegal things that other countries pay for? (eg drugs)

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      How much if it is due to countries making things illegal, which pushes up the value of that item, which in turn encourages criminals to produce said item?

      • How much if it is due to countries making things illegal, which pushes up the value of that item, which in turn encourages criminals to produce said item?

        That's your government's way of creating jobs. But like most trade deals, it creates the jobs and increases the GDP in other countries, and drives the trade deficit way up.

        • Hehe... just imagine the "fiscal conservative"'s response to a suggestion that we could reduce our trade deficit by legalizing drugs.

      • It's not just making things illegal, it's making the concept of recreational drugs illegal. If recreational drugs that aren't physically addictive were legal, pharmaceutical researchers could have those imported agricultural products replaced in short order, and with the FDA checking up on the manufacturers' quality control.

  • Overly done graphic (Score:5, Insightful)

    by tomhath ( 637240 ) on Saturday May 09, 2015 @02:35PM (#49654297)
    Aside from the gaping holes in the data for many countries, the use of a spinning globe is a nuisance. Just display a map, it doesn't have to move around.

  • What is a homicide? (Score:5, Informative)

    by tranquilidad ( 1994300 ) on Saturday May 09, 2015 @02:36PM (#49654299)

    Countries don't count homicides the same way. In England and Wales, as an example, deaths don't count as homicides unless, and until, there is a conviction for the death. Here is a report that highlights that difference: www.parliament.uk [parliament.uk]

    35. Homicide statistics too vary widely. In some developing countries, the statistics are known to be far from complete. Figures for crimes labelled as homicide in various countries are simply not comparable. Since 1967, homicide figures for England and Wales have been adjusted to exclude any cases which do not result in conviction, or where the person is not prosecuted on grounds of self defence or otherwise. This reduces the apparent number of homicides by between 13 per cent and 15 per cent. The adjustment is made only in respect of figures shown in one part of the Annual Criminal Statistics. In another part relating to the use of firearms, no adjustment is made. A table of the number of homicides in which firearms were used in England and Wales will therefore differ according to which section of the annual statistics was used as its base. Similarly in statistics relating to the use of firearms, a homicide will be recorded where the firearm was used as a blunt instrument, but in the specific homicide statistics, that case will be shown under "blunt instrument".

    36. Many countries, including the United States, do not adjust their statistics down in that way and their figures include cases of self defence, killings by police and justifiable homicides. In Portugal, cases in which the cause of death is unknown are included in the homicide figures, inflating the apparent homicide rate very considerably.

  • DO THE MATH! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by antiperimetaparalogo ( 4091871 ) on Saturday May 09, 2015 @03:15PM (#49654503)

    Crime statistics from Greece (still low crime rates compared to most of the world, but huge difference from when Greece became more NON-Greek!)

    Population: Greeks (9.903.268 - including all Greek citizens, i.e., even about 3% officialy non-ethnic Greeks...) - NON-Greeks (708.003 - officialy 70% of them "undocumented immigrants"...)

    Crime Perpetrators:

    Homocide: Greeks (264) - NON-Greeks (188)

    Rape: Greeks (117) - NON-Greeks (76)

    Robbery: Greeks (1,316) - NON-Greeks (896)

    Sources: latest (2011) official population census: http://www.statistics.gr/porta... [statistics.gr] - latest (2013) official police data: http://www.astynomia.gr/images... [astynomia.gr]

  • Muggah? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    ...says Robert Muggah, the research director and program coordinator...

    Actually, Robert Muggah says "hands up!"

  • That geographic specificity helps to underscore an important point about murders, says Robert Muggah, the research director and program coordinator for Citizen Security at the Rio de Janeiro-based Igarapé Institute, in the above-lined story: "In most cities, the vast majority of violence takes place on just a few street corners, at certain times of the day, and among specific people."

    A dude from Rio de Jeneiro says this concerning worldwide homicide rates, and it makes it into a summary on Slashdot.

    Someone on Slashdot says the same thing about America during a debate about guns, citing statistics from the FBI, and they get downvoted as a Troll and called a racist.

  • TL:DR; (Score:5, Informative)

    by UnknownSoldier ( 67820 ) on Saturday May 09, 2015 @04:36PM (#49654771)

    Remind me to never visit Brazil, Mexico, or Honduras.

    Summary, in alphabetical order

    * Brazil x 19 !!!
    * Columbia
    * Honduras x 2
    * El Salvador
    * Guatemala
    * Jamaica
    * Louisiana, USA
    * Maryland, USA
    * Mexico x 10 !!
    * Michigan, USA
    * Missouri, USA
    * South Africa
    * Venezuela x 4 !

    Top 50 List without all the bullshit images:

    1. San Pedro Sula, Honduras had 171.20 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    2. Caracas, Venezuela had 115.98 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    3. Acapulco, Mexico had 104.16 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    4. João Pessoa, Brazil had 79.41 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    5. Distrito Central, Honduras had 77.65 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    6. MaceiÃ, Brazil had 72.91 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    7. Valencia, Venezuela had 71.08 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    8. Fortaleza, Brazil had 66.55 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    9. Cali, Colombia had 65.25 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    10. São LuÃs, Brazil had 64.71 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    11. Natal, Brazil had 63.68 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    12. Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela had 62.13 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    13. San Salvador, El Salvador had 61.21 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    14. Cape Town, South Africa had 60 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    15. Vitoria, Brazil had 57 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    16. CuiabÃ, Brazil had 56.46 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    17. Salvador (and RMS), Brazil had 54.31 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    18. Belém, Brazil had 53.06 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    19. St. Louis, Missouri had 49.93 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    20. Teresina, Brazil had 49.49 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    21. Barquisimeto, Venezuela had 46.46 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    22. Detroit, Michigan had 44.87 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    23. GoiÃnia, Brazil had 44.82 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    24. CuliacÃn, Mexico had 42.17 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    25. Guatemala, Guatemala had 41.90 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    26. Kingston, Jamaica had 40.59 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    27. JuÃrez, Mexico had 39.94 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    28. New Orleans, Louisiana had 39.61 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    29. Recife, Brazil had 39.05 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    30. Campina Grande, Brazil had 37.97 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    31. ObregÃn, Mexico had 37.71 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    32. Palmira, Colombia had 37.66 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    33. Manaus, Brazil had 37.07 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    34. Nuevo Laredo, Mexico had 34.92 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    35. Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa had 34.89 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    36. Pereira, Colombia had 34.68 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    37. Porto Alegre, Brazil had 34.65 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    38. Durban, South Africa had 34.48 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    39. Aracaju, Brazil had 34.19 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    40. Baltimore, Maryland had 33.92 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    41. Victoria, Mexico had 33.91 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    42. Belo Horizonte, Brazil had 33.39 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    43. Chihuahua, Mexico had 33.29 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    44. Curitiba, Brazil had 31.48 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    45. Tijuana, Mexico had 29.90 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    46. MacapÃ, Brazil, had 28.87 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    47. CÃcuta, Colombia, had 28.43 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    48. TorreÃn, Mexico, had 27.81 homicides per 100,000 residents.
    49. MedellÃn, Colombia, had 26.91 homicides per 100,000 resident
    50. Cuernavaca, Mexico, had 25.45 homicides per 100,000 residents.

    I feel bad for all the people in Brazil and Mexico.

    • I've lived in two of these cities (#38 Durban and #14 Cape Town, South Africa), and the numbers can be misleading. Cape Town in particular is actually pretty safe as South Africa goes. I don't know anyone personally who has been affected by violent crime here, and I dated a police officer based in the CBD who had never even come close to having to use her firearm. The numbers are real, but seem to be heavily skewed towards inter-gang violence and domestic violence, both overwhelmingly localized to certai

    • For a point of reference, the global death statistics [wikipedia.org] say the death rate from all accidental injuries is 57 per 100,000. The biggest single cause is road traffic accidents, at 19 per 100,000 (more recent statistics put it at 18). Violent deaths (suicide, homicide, war) break down as 14 for suicide (more recent stats put it at 16), 9 for homicide, and 2.8 for war.

      The suicide stat I think is an important one that's often overlooked. Globally it's more than 1.5x the homicide rate, and certain countries w

  • Can't believe how off-topic most of the trolls are... kids these days, sheesh :-(

    • like the racists who think black people are the problem

      the fact they are modded up leads me to believe it might be time to leave slashdot

      when racists get modded up, the forum is dying

  • Not really any surprises here I must say...

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