• Acters@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    1 year ago

    Isn’t Washington, DC our country’s capital or something? Is it #1 on the list because it has a higher rate than other places or because there is a smaller population living there, and its popularity attracts a broad variety of people who dont normally live there? Like why is usa’s main capitol the #1 in the list?

    • CyberDine@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      “per capita”

      This is a statistical term meant to signify that this is an average based on the number of residents in the area. DC is number #1 because of it’s large amount of murders compared to the small number of residents.

      If you’re going to compare crime statistics, most statisticians divide the number of a crime (homicide) by the city population then multiply it by the largest unit of measurement they each have in common (usually 100,000).

    • Bgugi@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      Short and long of it: DC is the “city-est” city… Because it was carved out as a small patch ahead of time, only the most urban areas fall inside DC, whereas the more peaceful outskirts and suburbs that would normally dilute the crime stats are excluded

      • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        DC has a police problem as much as a crime problem. Also, Congress literally just blocked a re-write of the criminal code which took decades to write and was supposed to finally put restorative justice front and center. So DC has a Congress problem as well.