Here is an article about how dangerous my hometown of Flint, Michigan has become. I grew up there in the 60's. it was a wonderful place. However, now it is a war zone and I don't visit there often. I feel like I'm taking my life into my own hands.
I write about growing up in Flint in my book "Life inside the factory".

Flint has 19th most violent neighborhood in the nation, according to report

Print

By Blake Thorne | bthorne1@mlive.com 
Follow on Twitter
on May 03, 2013 at 5:30 PM, updated May 03, 2013 at 9:20 PM

Email

FLINT, MI -- The 19th most dangerous neighborhood in the country is in Flint, according to a new report.

MLive.com file photo 

Specifically, it's the neighborhood west of Dort Highway, between Lippincott Boulevard and Atherton Road.

The rankings are from a report of the 25 most dangerous neighborhoodsreleased this week by NeighborhoodScout.com.

Here, there are 70 violent crimes per every 1,000 residents and there is a 1 in 14 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime.

The report claims to use FBI data to base its findings. Among the acts considered violent crimes are murder, forcible rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault. 

"These neighborhoods are the epicenters of violence in America, where social issues are likely to ignite into violence and spread," reads the report.

Flint fared better on the rankings than the two other Michigan cities on the list. Detroit has four neighborhoods on the list, including the top three. A Saginaw neighborood is No. 10.

Flint's crime has made national rankings before. In January, the city was called the nation’s most-violent large city, according to preliminary data for the first half of 2012 released by the FBI. Last year was also a record breaking homicide year for the city.

Blake Thorne is a reporter for MLive-The Flint Journal. Contact him atbthorne1@mlive.com or 810-347-8194. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.