Murder Rate in Little Rock Soars Above Surrounding Communities
By: Lauren Trager, KARK 4 News
Updated: October 8, 2012
The possibility of becoming a murder victim in Pulaski County is much higher on one side of the river than the other.
But it's not necessarily because of which city has more people.
"There is a lot of crime," said Storay Storay, a woman who lives in Little Rock.
Flashing lights, armed officers asking questions and bullet holes snapped for evidence are all sights, some say, they're seeing more often.
"Here lately, yes and it's puzzling," said Storay.
But homeowners in Little Rock, aren't the only ones who've noticed this year's rise in the capitol city's murder rate.
"It is somewhat concerning that you would have the number out there," said Sgt. Cassandra Davis with the Little Rock Police Department.
Little Rock police have seen a trend too. The trouble is, it isn't happening everywhere.
This year, Pulaski County deputies have plotted just three murder scenes in their area, with a total of five victims.
When we compared Little Rock to North Little Rock, we discovered something startling.
For demonstration purposes, imagine a line right over the Arkansas River. Based on numbers KARK collected, once you take a step from North Little Rock, into Little Rock, you've just about doubled your chances for becoming a murder victim.
This year Little Rock has had 41 murders, compared to North Little Rock's 7 homicides.
Accounting for population, in Little Rock nearly 1 out of every 47-hundred people was killed so far this year. The number is 1 in 9 thousand people north of the river.
"We really don't know why the homicides happen here in Little Rock," said Sgt. Davis.
Sgt. Davis says the city just doesn't track murder trends.
But even though they're a bit worried, Sgt. Davis says the average citizen shouldn't be.
"It's nothing that is random, nothing you should be concerned about that if you are walking down the street, you could become a victim of a homicide," she said.
Still, some say, hearing the numbers they aren't so sure.
"You can't go to Walmart and buy another you, you know," Storay said.
Sergeant Davis says most suspects they arrest for murder in Little Rock are from Little Rock.
She points out that most murder victims know they're attacker in some way.
Still, she says they are focusing on areas with other kinds of crime, hoping to keep the murder rate much lower in 2013.
But it's not necessarily because of which city has more people.
"There is a lot of crime," said Storay Storay, a woman who lives in Little Rock.
Flashing lights, armed officers asking questions and bullet holes snapped for evidence are all sights, some say, they're seeing more often.
"Here lately, yes and it's puzzling," said Storay.
But homeowners in Little Rock, aren't the only ones who've noticed this year's rise in the capitol city's murder rate.
"It is somewhat concerning that you would have the number out there," said Sgt. Cassandra Davis with the Little Rock Police Department.
Little Rock police have seen a trend too. The trouble is, it isn't happening everywhere.
This year, Pulaski County deputies have plotted just three murder scenes in their area, with a total of five victims.
When we compared Little Rock to North Little Rock, we discovered something startling.
For demonstration purposes, imagine a line right over the Arkansas River. Based on numbers KARK collected, once you take a step from North Little Rock, into Little Rock, you've just about doubled your chances for becoming a murder victim.
This year Little Rock has had 41 murders, compared to North Little Rock's 7 homicides.
Accounting for population, in Little Rock nearly 1 out of every 47-hundred people was killed so far this year. The number is 1 in 9 thousand people north of the river.
"We really don't know why the homicides happen here in Little Rock," said Sgt. Davis.
Sgt. Davis says the city just doesn't track murder trends.
But even though they're a bit worried, Sgt. Davis says the average citizen shouldn't be.
"It's nothing that is random, nothing you should be concerned about that if you are walking down the street, you could become a victim of a homicide," she said.
Still, some say, hearing the numbers they aren't so sure.
"You can't go to Walmart and buy another you, you know," Storay said.
Sergeant Davis says most suspects they arrest for murder in Little Rock are from Little Rock.
She points out that most murder victims know they're attacker in some way.
Still, she says they are focusing on areas with other kinds of crime, hoping to keep the murder rate much lower in 2013.
