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Don't whitewash real crime and safety issues in our city
By Murray King |
October 22, 2009, Thursday
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EDITOR'S note:
Is Shanghai a safe city? If it is, why? If it is not, how can we improve it? Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
Dear editor,
I read with interest your "Shanghai vs New York" editorial published on Tuesday.
While Shanghai is perceived as a safe city, there are to my knowledge no official crime statistics published by the municipal police force to provide objective information on the annual rate of violent crimes and property theft.
(Editor: There are biweekly updates on crime on the Website of the Shanghai Police. English-language media also report the city's crime rates regularly.)
Even in the absence of crime statistics, I think as residents of Shanghai we do know that crime, and particularly property theft, is a major problem on the streets and in the residential communities where we all live - particularly so during certain times of year, such as the lead up to major holidays.
Violent crime is being increasingly reported in media, often with graphic and disturbing details, often over disputes about money and domestic issues.
The author of the Tuesday editorial noted that "in Shanghai, even if a charming, attractive model walks at odd hours of two o'clock in the morning in a bikini swim suit" she would not be in danger because of the "excellent protective environment" of the city.
The murder in Shanghai of a Canadian model just last year at precisely that time in the morning, in a very random act of violence by a complete stranger should dispel any such myths that Shanghai or any large city can lay claim to such a utopian level of safety even for foreigners, and I found it somewhat distasteful that such comments were included in the editorial piece.
Shanghai, like any large city, has a challenge to manage crime, and people should take the same precautions here as in any other city when out alone - particularly women who remain as vulnerable in this city as anywhere to crime.
Shanghai can be proud of its impressive economic growth in the last few years, and I am confident that the city and its people will continue to grow and prosper.
But a more objective look at issues such as crime, based on concrete data and factual information, can lead to a better understanding of how to ensure the city maintain its reputation as a safe place to live and work.
Perhaps the real danger that is omnipresent in the minds of many foreign visitors to Shanghai (and indeed for many locals) is the danger of Shanghai traffic.
Whether someone is at risk because of the potential for attack by criminals or being hit by a car is immaterial to the poor victim, and I would imagine that the latter is just as frightening as the former.
The current nationwide crackdown on drunk driving is an excellent example of how the government is taking action to crack down on some of the causes of road accidents and traffic fatalities.
But more still needs to be done, and those who drive a car in Shanghai need to take far more care when they drive, and far more responsibility for their actions.
(The author is a long-term Shanghai resident.)
Is Shanghai a safe city? If it is, why? If it is not, how can we improve it? Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
Dear editor,
I read with interest your "Shanghai vs New York" editorial published on Tuesday.
While Shanghai is perceived as a safe city, there are to my knowledge no official crime statistics published by the municipal police force to provide objective information on the annual rate of violent crimes and property theft.
(Editor: There are biweekly updates on crime on the Website of the Shanghai Police. English-language media also report the city's crime rates regularly.)
Even in the absence of crime statistics, I think as residents of Shanghai we do know that crime, and particularly property theft, is a major problem on the streets and in the residential communities where we all live - particularly so during certain times of year, such as the lead up to major holidays.
Violent crime is being increasingly reported in media, often with graphic and disturbing details, often over disputes about money and domestic issues.
The author of the Tuesday editorial noted that "in Shanghai, even if a charming, attractive model walks at odd hours of two o'clock in the morning in a bikini swim suit" she would not be in danger because of the "excellent protective environment" of the city.
The murder in Shanghai of a Canadian model just last year at precisely that time in the morning, in a very random act of violence by a complete stranger should dispel any such myths that Shanghai or any large city can lay claim to such a utopian level of safety even for foreigners, and I found it somewhat distasteful that such comments were included in the editorial piece.
Shanghai, like any large city, has a challenge to manage crime, and people should take the same precautions here as in any other city when out alone - particularly women who remain as vulnerable in this city as anywhere to crime.
Shanghai can be proud of its impressive economic growth in the last few years, and I am confident that the city and its people will continue to grow and prosper.
But a more objective look at issues such as crime, based on concrete data and factual information, can lead to a better understanding of how to ensure the city maintain its reputation as a safe place to live and work.
Perhaps the real danger that is omnipresent in the minds of many foreign visitors to Shanghai (and indeed for many locals) is the danger of Shanghai traffic.
Whether someone is at risk because of the potential for attack by criminals or being hit by a car is immaterial to the poor victim, and I would imagine that the latter is just as frightening as the former.
The current nationwide crackdown on drunk driving is an excellent example of how the government is taking action to crack down on some of the causes of road accidents and traffic fatalities.
But more still needs to be done, and those who drive a car in Shanghai need to take far more care when they drive, and far more responsibility for their actions.
(The author is a long-term Shanghai resident.)
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