Murder Rate On the Rise in Moscow

[Adel]

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/12/15/010.html

By David Nowak
Staff Writer

However you look at it, you're more likely to be murdered in Moscow now than a year ago.

On Thursday, Interior Ministry officials announced that "more than 1,000" people had been murdered so far in 2006. In 2005, 1,018 killings were registered.

That means one of two things: Either more people have already been killed this year than last year, or Moscow is on track to surpass last year's figure.

At a murder rate of nearly three people daily, at least 43 more people can expect to be killed before year's end, topping last year's figure.

Oddly, Moscow's rising murder trend does not jibe with the national murder rate, which has dropped 10 percent in the past four years, said Andrei Kucheryavy, acting head of the ministry's crime investigation department.

In 2006, there have been more than 23,000 murders in the country, Kucheryavy said, with 3,655 of those still unsolved. Kucheryavy declined to give homicide figures for other years.

Kucheryavy and Alexander Kshevitsky, deputy head of the crime investigation department's Bureau No. 1, spoke at a news conference Thursday at an Interfax office in central Moscow.

Officials said Moscow was one of the most murder-plagued cities in the country — they refused to say which city has the most killings — and maintains a higher murder rate than New York or London.

 
There have been 551 murders in New York this year, according to the New York City Police Department's web site. From October 2005 through October 2006, there were 196 in London, according to the London Metropolitan Police.

Possibly compounding that danger is a rise in the number of serial killings.

In 1995, there were 139 serial murders nationwide, Kshevitsky said. That figure skyrocketed to 241 in 2000, and more than doubled in 2004, hitting 519.

It is unclear what the precise definition of a "serial murderer" is. Most of the serial murderers who killed from 1995 to 2004, Kshevitsky said, took more than five lives.

Kshevitsky indicated that the rise might not necessarily represent a jump in serial killings but that police, detectives and prosecutors have simply become better at identifying them.

"The most challenging part about our work is establishing that two killings are committed by one person," Kshevitsky said.

The country's highest-profile serial killings took place from 1992 to 2005, during which time the so-called Bittsevsky Maniac killed dozens of people in Moscow's Bittsevsky Park.

Alexander Pichushkin of Moscow, in his early 30s, was detained in June in connection with 49 murders during that time, but police say the suspect has actually confessed to 62.

[Bruno]

Officials said Moscow was one of the most murder-plagued cities in the country — they refused to say which city has the most killings — and maintains a higher murder rate than New York or London.

There have been 551 murders in New York this year, according to the New York City Police Department's web site. From October 2005 through October 2006, there were 196 in London, according to the London Metropolitan Police.

Count simply the number of murder by city is a crazy thing... murder per capita is more realistic... making so, you will see that Moscow have a murder rate for 100.000 people around 22.15 ... usually, by capita, big city are enough secure place...

For compare, some of the US city ( data  murder rate by 100.000 people 2005 )
- Compton, Calif.    67.1
- Gary, Ind.    58.0
- Birmingham, Ala.    44.3
- Youngstown, Ohio    43.7
- Richmond, Va.    43.0
- Baltimore, Md.    42.0
- Camden, N.J.    41.2
- Flint, Mich.    40.1
- Detroit, Mich.    39.3
- Richmond, Calif.    38.8
- St. Louis, Mo.    37.9
- Trenton, N.J.    36.2
- Washington, DC    35.4
- Newark, N.J.    34.5
- San Bernardino, Calif.    29.0
- Kansas City, Mo.    28.1
- Reading, Pa.    27.2
- Philadelphia, Pa.    25.6
- Kansas City, Kans.    25.4
- Cincinnati, Ohio    25.1
- Rochester, N.Y.    24.9
- Norfolk, Va.    24.5
- Cleveland, Ohio    23.8
- Oakland, Calif.    23.2
- West Palm Beach, Fla.    22.6
- Inglewood, Calif.    22.4

- Moscow 22.15 if you live in one of the US cities up these line, you will be more secure in Moscow...

The first city from Texas is :
- Dallas, Texas    16.4
Seem that Texan are not really good for murder 

The medium for US is 5.6

Adel, don't worry... Moscow have a high level of other crime like domestic violence, rape, thief, etc ...

[Gator]

Bruno, I think your statistics for Moscow murder rate are wrong.  Do not believe what you read in outdated publications.  Yet I admit my info is just as unreliable. 

Moscow’s population is a guess; my ex-fiancee says it is 9-10 million, with another 8 million of illegal residents (unaccounted) and daily workers entering from outside.  perhaps the Moscow women will have something to add. 

Then again, who knows if the police are reporting all murders?

I heard (and perhaps have this incorrect) that 5,000 cars are added each day.  Traffic is abominable, much worse than 1-2 years ago when I found it unacceptable.  If traffic were this bad in America, road rage and our penchant for guns would have murder rate of over 100.   

In my opinion the traffic and the lack of planning will make Moscow unihabitatble.  The Metro is already jammed pack – walking from line to line underground to change trains during rush hours is stop and go.  It will be interesting to observe what will be done over the next few years (restrict number of cars in center city, etc.). 

[Bruno]

Bruno, I think your statistics for Moscow murder rate are wrong.  Do not believe what you read in outdated publications.

Outdated  First, i need to compare the same statistic for the same year... since 2005 is the last full year, i don't see how it is possible to have more updated on a year base...

The problem is that some people try to present Moscow like a dangerous city... and it is far to be true... the criminality is lower in big city that in several medium city... difficult to make a murder when you have a very high level of policemen by km˛ ... second thing, the jail in Western country are like 5 star hotel... visit a jail in Russia and you will forget all your possible crazy idea to make something that law can punish you for...

Strange that Texas is the state with the lower crime... is it not Texas who is favorable for weapons... yep, a potential victim who is able to defend themself is not good for a ganster... of maybe it is the dead penalty who dissuade people to make murder in Texas... In some way, all is similar with Russia... maybe police is not so good for catch ganster but once they are catch, the following is not a sweet walk...

Then again, who knows if the police are reporting all murders?

Same everywhere... who knows ?

[TexasBoar]

Strange that Texas is the state with the lower crime... is it not Texas who is favorable for weapons...

An armed society is a polite society. 

maybe it is the dead penalty who dissuade people to make murder in Texas...

That too.  After all, we've executed both a woman and a retard in recent years.  All that's left is for Huntsville to install an "Express Lane" . . . lol.

As far as American murder stats go, however, both foreigners and gun control advocates miss---or purposely ignore---the more detailed statistics showing that 50% of just about ALL violent crimes in America, gun deaths included, is committed by a very specific subset/subculture,  comprised of 8-14% of the population, and largely confined to particular, easily avoided locales.  Remove those statistics, and our rates look like Switzerland's.

~Boar

[Gator]

Just one question - in which group is JB?

 

[Rvrwind]

heard (and perhaps have this incorrect) that 5,000 cars are added each day.

I don't know about each day, but we watched a program on TV just last weekthat stated 300,000 more cars every year in Moscow. Too scary for me to even consider getting my licence the way these idiots drive!!!