The people, society, and economy of Pennsylvania are all very different from one another. It does, however, deal with a big problem: crime, especially serious crime. The FBI found that there were 297.5 violent crimes for every 100,000 people in the state in 2020, and 5.8 murders for every 100,000 people. Both of these rates were higher than the national average. Different parts of the state have different levels of crime. Some towns, like Chester, are hit harder than others.
Chester, PA is the Murder Capital of the State
According to an analysis of crime statistics by RoadSnacks, Chester, which is in Delaware County and close to Philadelphia, will be the murder capital of Pennsylvania in 2023. This ranking is based on things like the number and rate of murders per person, as well as things like population, poverty, unemployment, and school levels. In 2020, there were 27 killings in Chester, which was the most in the state. The murder rate was 79.6 per 100,000 people, second only to Wilkinsburg.
Profile of Chester
Chester was created by Swedish settlers in the 1600s and has a long history of wealth and industry. Chester used to be a busy place for trade, shipbuilding, and industry, but since the middle of the 20th century, it has been getting worse. The loss of businesses, jobs, and people is a big part of this decline, which is causing social and economic problems like poverty, crime, and corruption.
What Makes Chester What It Is
Chester’s position in the southeast corner of Pennsylvania, close to major highways like I-95 and I-476, makes it easy for people, goods, and sadly illegal drugs and weapons to move around. Cities like Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Media may also have an effect on the crime rate in Chester.
Population: 33,905 people are living in Chester. Of those, 69.7% are black, 17.9% are white, and 9.9% are Hispanic or Latino. The median age of the population is 31.4 years old, and 35.9% of people live in poverty.
Economy: Chester’s economy is weak, with an unemployment rate of 10.9% and a typical household income of $30,571. It depends on industries like education, healthcare, government, and entertainment.
Chester has a long and complicated past that includes industrialization, deindustrialization, immigration, and other events that have shaped the city’s identity. Its lively food, leisure, sports, and arts scenes raise both the quality of life and the risk of crime.
According to the FBI, Chester’s violent crime rate was 2,146.9 per 100,000 people in 2020, and its property crime rate was 4,253.7 per 100,000 people. These numbers are very high and are much higher than the state and national norms. In the same year, the Chester Police Department saw 27 murders, 64 rapes, 163 robberies, 381 severe assaults, 1,011 burglaries, 1,190 thefts, and 403 motor vehicle thefts. Many of these crimes were connected to drugs and gangs.
In Conclusion
Even though this summary helps explain why Chester is known as the murder city of Pennsylvania, it’s important to keep in mind how complicated the issues are. We need to do more study and analysis to fully understand and solve the city’s complex crime problem.