Originally Posted by startwin (Post 7115591)

Have you read the Bristol Evening Post the past few days?

Originally Posted by Yogi-Bear (Post 7115041)

Originally Posted by BristolUK (Post 7115587)

I fear you may be a little out of touch. In Bristol it's as likely any night of the week now and for some years too. I don't see why other cities haven't moved on from it being 'just' a weekend occurence.

It may be a little worse at weekends with larger groups travelling a little further and "making a weekend of it" for stag dos and hen nights, for example, but the same rowdy behaviour is visible any night of the week. Just as the pavement pizzas, trail of smashed bus shelters, upturned rubbish bins etc on the route out of town is visible on any morning after the night before.

Originally Posted by shelley748 (Post 7114999)

The other thing about Canada which is funny, is that "persons" who are suspected of committing a crime, cannot be described as they actually are- e.g if a Somalian is wanted for a bag theft, he /she can only be described as 5ft 4inches tall, dark hair, wearing a white T shirt and jeans.......in other words you are not allowed to mention the ethnicity...it always makes me laugh cos how many people does that describe!!!

Originally Posted by BristolUK (Post 7115675)

Yes, I look at the 'Post' daily.

There is a bit of 'The Mail' about the paper (it is owned by the same people, I believe) in that it's a bit sensationalist but the incidents do happen for them to get reported.

A 'glassing' is still a glassing no matter how big the headline is.

Originally Posted by dboy (Post 7115899)

I'm a member of the RCMP in BC and i never heard of that.

Originally Posted by jonfrank123 (Post 7114780)

Hi Mike

Don't get me wrong it certainly isn't the sort of place you will get mugged at night, it's also pretty unlikely that you will be burgled. Effectively it is a giant Cul De Sac, with only one exit, that can easily be blocked by police.

However, you start to notice things, lets leave out the double murder that happened 2 streets from me a few months back, it was effectively a domestic. Lots of people have been complaining about their cars being trashed, another person I was speaking to lived next to a "crack house" on the island, and had constant thefts and aggravation.

I read the Montreal Gazette every day and notice that a shooting or stabbing gets 5 lines on page 15. I am back in the UK every couple of months, the same sort of crime gets front page billing on the Daily Mail. I've witnessed many things in Montreal, from really nasty fights, to people trying to steal cars, Bicycles.

Unfortunately these thugs who carry out home invasions, seem to be getting more violent, and don't care about age or if a family has children. It is something that seems to be far more common in this part of Canada than in the UK. I know the chances of being "hit" are tiny but I do worry having 2 young children.

All the best

Jonathan

Originally Posted by montreal mike (Post 7116228)

The bright spot in Montreal is that this year, 2008, there will have been only 28 murders.

Originally Posted by G77 (Post 7116298)

Sounds like Disneyland compared to Detroit, 5 miles away from me - think they average around one a day, so 365 ish a year.... Some years it has been as high as 700 :eek: Fortunately it doesn't seem to spill across the border in our direction...

EDIT: Found this - http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...omicides_N.htm Was only 340 this year, a few people got let off!

Originally Posted by montreal mike (Post 7116478)

The population of Detroit can't be much more than Montreal. Yet compare the two: one a day vs. one every two weeks. There are many reasons but i won't get into it on this thread.

Originally Posted by G77 (Post 7116501)

Exactly... my point being that Montreal is fairly quiet in the grand scheme of North America.... By way of comparison, Windsor has 3 homicides per year - less than 1/100 of the rate of Detroit, the population is roughly 1/5 of that of Detroit.

Originally Posted by montreal mike (Post 7116508)

My guess is most murders here are either domestic disputes or are drug-related.

Originally Posted by G77 (Post 7116515)

I think that covers the majority of murders anywhere, the numbers of other murders is fairly low.... The high number of murders in Detroit doesn't stop me going there, though I don't make a habit of hanging around the ghetto, even if one is forced to drive through it.

Originally Posted by montreal mike (Post 7116523)

From what I read the city is in decline. The general economy is down and the car industry is in the toilet.

I used to visit new york city often (8 hour drive) although I haven't been there for 25 years. At least it is vibrant and there is plenty to see and do.