chelidon: (Default)
chelidon ([personal profile] chelidon) wrote2009-01-04 05:52 pm

homicides fail to decrease, news at 11

The state of New Hampshire just announced for 2008, the exact same total reported number of homicides statewide in 2008 as in 2007, at 19. And yes, that's for the whole state, for the entire year.

The NH murder rate per 100,000 people was the lowest in the nation at 1.1/100,000 (.0011%). New Hampshire also had the second-lowest rate of overall violent crime in the nation. The only other U.S. states besides NH with murder rates below 2 per 100,000 (.002%) in 2007 were Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. I don't know what to make of that, but there it is. Except for Hawaii (which has its own unique culture, as I can safely say, having grown up there), they're all cold states, and almost half are the far northeast states There well may be many other correlations (average income, average education level, population density, etc), but, you know, if I have to trade cold winters for a minimal homicide rate, I'll take it.

From the list of 2008 homicides, the weapons of choice were:

1. Guitar, boot
2. Firearm
3. Sword
4. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
5. Motor vehicle
6. Weapon not specified (blunt object)
7. Firearm
8. Weapon not specified (still under investigation)
9. Firearm (justifiable homicide, self-defense)
10. Pool table
11. Weapon not specified (information not released)
12. Weapon not specified (traumatic injury)
13. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
14. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
15. Weapon not specified (blunt object)
16. Baseball bat
17. Baseball bat
18. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
19. Axe

Clearly, guitars, pool tables and baseball bats really need to be better regulated in NH.

[identity profile] draiguisge.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
See, this is another reason why VT, NH, and ME are high on my list. And yikes, I need to start working on a resume because now it's only 6 months until I graduate. Holy cow ...

[identity profile] chelidon.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
Wow! And I can't tell you how happy I am that neighboring states are high on your list -- it would be great to have you guys closer, and a real bummer if you moved further away!

[identity profile] ravenedgewalker.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
yea, well I've always thought folk with guitars were dodgy....

(and snakey will tell you that the weapon of choice even in the UK is generally a baseball bat. not sure why that is given it's not exactly a national sport over here!)

[identity profile] chelidon.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
Sturdier than a cricket bat?

And yeah, those guitarists are definitely dodgy! ;>

[identity profile] ravenedgewalker.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
maybe we're just more reluctant to defile cricket bats....

and yes, my mother always told me to watch out for those guitarists....

Isn't a Pool Table a "Stabbing Weapon"?

[identity profile] shapeinthclouds.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
and doesn't that give you some sort of prison cred?
More appropriately, recognizing the Cold State correlation is but a part of what I've noticed in NH, VT, and ME. "Hardiness" is the best word for it. It's the state of a community that understands what their neighbor, either down the road or across the state celebrates, deals with, and experiences daily. It's tough to have it in for someone so much like yourself.
Oh, and don't worry, it doesn't take much of a breeze to get us musing your direction. Stats like this are a gale.

[identity profile] morrigandaughtr.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
Not appropo of homicide, chat?

[identity profile] chelidon.livejournal.com 2009-01-06 03:42 pm (UTC)(link)
yes, let's! I've got Thursday free after 9pm my time, or Sunday night. Do either of those work for you?

[identity profile] morrigandaughtr.livejournal.com 2009-01-06 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I can chat on Thursday evening best. Right now I have an appointment at 5:30 my time, home by around 7:30 my time. So why don't we try 8:15 Central/9:15 Eastern? Would that work?

[identity profile] firebirdgrrl.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 02:36 am (UTC)(link)

"1. Guitar, boot "

If this has a film version, I get the feeling Robert Rodriguez will direct.

[identity profile] anthologie.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
Out of curiosity, what's your concern for a higher homicide rate? Higher chances of being a victim, preferring to live in an area where social problems don't lead people to drastic measures, or preferring to live in an area where the police are effective?

Homicide rates are increasing everywhere for economic and social factors, but it doesn't much bother me to live in an area where they are somewhat high (what does bother me is the sucktastic rate at which the SFPD are able to resolve criminal cases involving homicide). Most victims are victims either because they are involved in organized crime or have a homicidally unstable person in their family/home. I think of the 99 we had in SF this year, only one or two were truly random events in which the suspect and victim had no prior knowledge of each other, if it was even that many.

That makes it all that much sadder that the cops can't figure out, and capture, whodunit.

[identity profile] sagamockingbird.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
Now I know to watch out for folks wielding pool tables.

[identity profile] lylythe-strega.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Not to mention folks wielding guitars wearing boots (the guitar, not the wielder-folk).

[identity profile] chelidon.livejournal.com 2009-01-06 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
If the shoe fits, don't fret.

[identity profile] silly-imp.livejournal.com 2009-01-05 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Guitar? Pool table? I'm morbidly curious...

I think Montreal checked in at about 30 murders this year. 'Not bad for a major city.