Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
Short Answer No
I have seen no 1st hand increase of crime.
Crime levels are no where near the numbers of the 80s back then I saw lots of crime 1st hand.
The media has got their teeth into a  fear mongering story that they will sensationalize for max profit.
Like those who fear shark attack in a land locked state....no sale here.

Wish I could say the say for New Orleans.

LnN Studio wrote:
...
When it is just you and the model you have no security

And we as photographers are concentrating on what we're seeing through our camera, we're NOT watching what's going on around us - particularly in back of us.  Just an incident waiting to happen.

Managing Light wrote:

And we as photographers are concentrating on what we're seeing through our camera, we're NOT watching what's going on around us - particularly in back of us.  Just an incident waiting to happen.

This is the key factor, not being able to keep an eye out for what's coming. Plus even if you hired a very well qualified armed guard who would really want to put the safety of the model or themselves in an environment where you need an armed guard? I simply decided to decrease my risk and choose safer places to shoot.

Managing Light wrote:

And we as photographers are concentrating on what we're seeing through our camera, we're NOT watching what's going on around us - particularly in back of us.  Just an incident waiting to happen.

Im Paranoid
Im always watching behind me

Znude! wrote:

This is the key factor, not being able to keep an eye out for what's coming. Plus even if you hired a very well qualified armed guard who would really want to put the safety of the model or themselves in an environment where you need an armed guard? I simply decided to decrease my risk and choose safer places to shoot.

Are you shooting in front of Crack Dens ?

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:

Are you shooting in front of Crack Dens ?

I'm sure there are crack addicts in the French Quarter of New Orleans. There have always been drug addicts of one kind or another there. But lately the crimes of choice in New Orleans are car jackings, car burglaries, and armed robberies. And no, I stopped shooting in New Orleans and only shoot in my studio or on remote beaches or remote wooded locations. It's a shame because I really love shooting in the French Quarter but it's just not worth the risk anymore.

Hunter  GWPB wrote:
"Crime rates changed dramat­ic­ally across the United States in 2020. Most signi­fic­antly, the murder rate — that is, the number of murders per 100,000 people — rose sharply, by nearly 30 percent. Assaults increased as well, with the rate of offenses rising by more than 10 percent. Both increases are part of a broader surge in gun viol­ence. More than 75 percent of murders in 2020 were commit­ted with a fire­arm, reach­ing a new high point, and cities that report data on shoot­ing incid­ents, like New York, saw signi­fic­ant increases in this form of viol­ence as well."

Yeah, the crime problem is because of the DA in Philly.  That is a laugh. 

The crime rating for Cherry Hill, New Jersey is 26 (the safest rating being 100).  Are you afraid to walk down the streets there?



Who was president in 2020?  trump.  The buck stops there.

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ … lent-crime

Well now that Biden is in office maybe things will turn around in my favorite place to shoot and hopefully yours as well. I certainly hope so. But it just seems to be getting worse where I am. I understand the economy is horrible and people are getting desperate and do desperate things. So maybe that will all change soon. I certainly hope so.

Znude! wrote:
Well now that Biden is in office maybe things will turn around in my favorite place to shoot and hopefully yours as well. I certainly hope so. But it just seems to be getting worse where I am. I understand the economy is horrible and people are getting desperate and do desperate things. So maybe that will all change soon. I certainly hope so.

The only people who would want a high crime rate are the people who profit off it.  One of the ways to profit off of high crime rates is to use it to win elections or disparage the opposition.  In a nationwide increase in crime, it is dishonest to blame a DA in one city because he is progressive and working to solve problems without using the methods of locking everyone up for as long as possible.  Some people hate all things progressive.  There are many DAs in other cities that are ultra conservative and the crime wave hit those cities too.  The experts say this increase in crime is complicated, but one guy can say, without evidence, it is because of an idiot DA.  Is a guy with a law degree, and a member of the bar an idiot?  Or is it an inane political comment?

The problem that we have with crime is often perception.  There are neighborhoods in Philly that I would not be in if I wasn't going through them on the train.  But I don't really know what the safety factor is.  It is the appearance of the neighborhood that I am reacting too.  Likewise, I don't know if the people are good or bad or what the ratio is.

My kid lived in the city while he was at Drexel.  He has come back to the area and settled in the city.  He rides his bike around.  The experiences he has told me about regarding assholes, are just as likely to happen out here in the burbs.

I won't work for most people that call me if they are in the city, but the reasons are due to the bureaucracy.  I do not want to have to fill out city quarterly forms for the rest of my life to do one or two jobs a year when I am overwhelmed with work outside of the city.  Obtaining the research I need is much harder in the city.  And worse, it just too damn much driving to get around in the city.  I have done jobs in Philly for a select client.  We had expensive equipment out on the street and not one single person bothered us.  I understand the perception of a lack of safety.  I don't understand using falsehoods and ignorance to assign blame.  That is politics.  Bad politics.  Polarizing politics.

I go into Philly from time to time with a camera hanging on my shoulder, and not one person has ever bothered me.  I did meet a model down there one time in a particular instance that was different.  When I got to the neighborhood, I was like, whoa.  But then, I opened my eyes and really considered my surroundings.  There were kids in the park.  There were expensive cars parked on the street.  I put away my perception and looked at the facts.  We worked inside her residence, but when I walked the streets for a time before the shoot and back to my car after the shoot, nobody bothered me.  People were fine with stopping and giving me directions.  There are other places in the city I would not hesitate to shoot and I often do.  Rittenhouse Square being a beautiful spot.  Also, there is a sketch club I walk to from the train.

In a neighborhood a couple of miles from me, suburban streets, houses with manicured lawns, a woman perceived she was being followed home.  Instead of not going home and driving to the police station a mile away, she got out of her car and shot at the other car.  She blew out the living room window of the house across the street.  She got arrested and released.  But, in that instance, who was the danger?  We don't know anything about the person in the car, but the white, 30 something, home owner was the one doing the random shooting.

While looking at the numbers, I saw that Philly has a crime rating of 8.  Horrible.  But we must remember that all the cities are rated on a scale of 1 (best) to 100 (worst).  Therefore, there will always be cities with a bad rating, even if the crime rate nationwide is low, there will be an 8.  For comparison sake, I also looked up Cherry Hill's crime rating and then King of Prussia's crime rating.  King of Prussia is a shopping mecca.  Busses come to the mall carrying people from far away.  The area is solidly middle class.  It was an important location for NASA back in the 70s.  Good schools.  Low local taxes. There are major corporations there and it is well served by interstate highways.  But the crime rating was a freaking 6.  Worse than Philly.  Yet I have never felt unsafe in the course of completing many jobs which I have done there or while walking along the roads, or across vast parking areas, or even in the forests.  On the map, the area that is regarded as the least safe, I would not hesitate to go in that area. 

I also ran across an evaluation from 2018.  The ten most unsafe cities in Pennsylvania.  Philly was tenth.  Little towns all over the state, from the suburbs of Philly to the suburbs of Pittsburg, and out in rural areas, were towns that were more unsafe than Philly.

I also have to consider other safety factors because I am not an urban guy.  When I shoot, I will take outdoor locations first.  This creates all kinds of problems because I don't have shades and reflectors and if I have harsh light, I have harsh light.  I figure I can fix that with paint since my final product isn't a photograph.  But, I also have safety factors to consider.  Do I put myself and a model at risk of injury by arranging a shoot a mile and half from the parking area- or further- when rough terrain is part of the walk?  When rattlesnakes and Copperheads exist in the areas I want to shoot?  Bears?  Or on the beach at the Jersey Shore when strong undertows might be there?  What about sharks?  Giardia in streams?  Brain eating amebas in fresh water locations?

How should I consider the danger from a natural environment in comparison to the danger of crime in the urban and suburban environment?  I think the people in the forest are more dangerous than the snakes.  Snakes never seek us out.  They warn us to stay away and then go about their business.  Unless you are unfortunate enough to step on or near one without seeing them, they aren't a threat.  I avoid the snakes, but I also avoid the people.  Really, I think I am much more likely to encounter people with guns in the forest, even outside of hunting season because people carry guns for all sorts of reasons, including fear of snakes.  If I am alone with a gorgeous woman in the forest, are we more likely to be attacked by a vicious man because there are no witnesses and the bodies may not be found for months?  The best photography months are also the hunting months.  Spring and fall.  During the summer, maybe most of the people on the Appalachian Trail and such recreational attractions are unarmed, but in the spring there are turkey hunters and the fall hunting season goes on for months.  Hunters are off the trail where I am.  You know they have guns.  And bullets may be flying.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
Short Answer No
I have seen no 1st hand increase of crime.
Crime levels are no where near the numbers of the 80s back then I saw lots of crime 1st hand.
The media has got their teeth into a  fear mongering story that they will sensationalize for max profit.
Like those who fear shark attack in a land locked state....no sale here.

Same here.  All the stats I’ve seen show a notable decrease in violent crime from around 700/100,000 in 1990 to about 400/100,000 in 2020, but many would never guess that due to fear mongering as you said.   Obviously, that’s a national trend, different locals will vary.   I’m fortunate to have lived in very low crime areas and feel I could shoot almost anywhere in my current area with an extremely low risk of violent crime.    (139/100,00 for my county)

People act on their perception of risk.  Sometimes those perceptions are accurate, but often they aren’t.  (To be clear, I’m not suggesting the OP has an inaccurate perception.).

GSmithPhoto wrote:
Oakland, CA - I live less than 10 miles away, and work overnights in Jack London Square.
Iron Triangle section of Richmond, CA - shot older architecture from the WWII era there.
These are statistically (FBI crime statistics) among the top 10 cities in the United States for violent crime.  I shoot here. 
I can offer solutions to the OP if he's interested.

-Gregory

I'm happy to hear solutions.

Managing Light wrote:

And we as photographers are concentrating on what we're seeing through our camera, we're NOT watching what's going on around us - particularly in back of us.  Just an incident waiting to happen.

I was shooting with a model in a park in Rome when she suddenly stared screaming looking past me and I turned around to find two guys approaching , a very good lesson learned. Fortunately they were probably more worried about her coming after them than me she's a tough cookie. I just went to an abandoned factory with a model and explained to her before going in about the importance of watching my back as I will for her.
Now that I am old I have to rely more on my thinking than actions and do try and plan for crap happening , keep my gear in my backpack on my back , only take it off to change lenses , I brought a 5' pc of black pipe to use as a mono pod , I try to stay as close as possible to my vehicle which has a really loud panic alarm on the fob etc.
I talked a buddy into taking me to East St.Louis on a visit and we rode around I would jump out and shoot he would watch the area  and things went fine until four fella's in a G-mobile crept by and you could tell they was thinking nasty thoughts about my ass so we departed the area.
Some places are worse than others my two scariest times where in wilderness situations there are some strange folks in the pines.

Znude! wrote:
Has an increase in crime had an impact on your choice of location?

One of my life long favorite places to shoot was the French Quarter in New Orleans. It was perfect for shooting models and architecture. In fact I was never disappointed if a model was a no show because I was equally prepared to shoot images of the wonderful old historic buildings of the area. But now I not only don't shoot there anymore I don't go there anymore. Crime has always been a bit of a factor there but now it has just overtaken the entire city of New Orleans. There are daily robberies and especially brutal carjackings. Crimes which used to mostly take place late at night now happen in the middle of the day. It's such a shame to lose a wonderful location like the French Quarter as a destination for photography. Walking around in a place riddled with crime carrying camera gear is like having a bright target on your back. I notice the film crews now hire armed guards when they shoot in the city, usually off duty police.

So now I only shoot in my studio or some isolated scenic wooded area or beach where the risk is much less.

Do you live and shoot in a high crime area and if so how do you reduce your risk of being robbed and or assaulted?

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
If It Bleeds, It Leads: Understanding Fear-Based Media
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog … ased-media
https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/i … omplicated

Most in this thread who report the decline of their locations are speaking from first-hand experience.  With those posts, no reaction to media is involved, and there is no political agenda.

Just because things are tame in your neck of the woods, it doesn't mean that it is the same everywhere else.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
If It Bleeds, It Leads: Understanding Fear-Based Media
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog … ased-media


https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/i … omplicated

I was just wondering if others had figured out a safe way to shoot in crime ridden areas. I know for a fact crime is and has been getting worse in New Orleans. Unless something changed recently Louisiana has three cities in the top ten list of the country for murders. I plan to check in to hiring an off duty police person to accompany me on some architectural shoots. But I know there's a shortage of police in Louisiana already. And I don't know what the cost would be to hire one. I used to hire them in a construction company I owned to handle traffic on road jobs. So I know it used to be possible.

I can't solve the politics or social stuff behind the crime. I'm just looking to be able to adapt to it. This isn't imaginary and I can send you local news story after story showing actual instances of serious crime in my area. I'm not talking about Fox national stuff, local stations.

The Other Place wrote:

Most in this thread who report the decline of their locations are speaking from first-hand experience.  With those posts, no reaction to media is involved, and there is no political agenda.

Just because things are tame in your neck of the woods, it doesn't mean that it is the same everywhere else.

Znude! wrote:

I was just wondering if others had figured out a safe way to shoot in crime ridden areas. I know for a fact crime is and has been getting worse in New Orleans. Unless something changed recently Louisiana has three cities in the top ten list of the country for murders. I plan to check in to hiring an off duty police person to accompany me on some architectural shoots. But I know there's a shortage of police in Louisiana already. And I don't know what the cost would be to hire one. I used to hire them in a construction company I owned to handle traffic on road jobs. So I know it used to be possible.

I can't solve the politics or social stuff behind the crime. I'm just looking to be able to adapt to it. This isn't imaginary and I can send you local news story after story showing actual instances of serious crime in my area. I'm not talking about Fox national stuff, local stations.

Hunter  GWPB wrote:
Interesting timing-

Damn white people and their insistence on being armed.

" the woman told officers the dispute was over who was or wasn’t in line at the restaurant. She said she felt threatened by three women there and [she] had seen a video that said if you feel threatened, to brandish your weapon, Cohen said."


https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania … 6a98655da5

It is against the law to brandish a gun in almost all states in all instances. The definition of brandishing may differ from state to state. I'm pretty sure it's not limited to "damn white people." I also don't understand what you mean by "interesting timing."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/indiana-ma … 5-seconds/
However I did find this story about a gun in a mall.

I very rarely photograph anyone or anything in a mall although I have in the French Market area of New Orleans. It's an open air outdoor type mall though.

I also don't think someone concentrating on taking photographs would be effective at self protection with a gun or any other weapon because he / she would be too distracted.

The Other Place wrote:

Most in this thread who report the decline of their locations are speaking from first-hand experience.  With those posts, no reaction to media is involved, and there is no political agenda.

Just because things are tame in your neck of the woods, it doesn't mean that it is the same everywhere else.

I didnt see anybody talk about 1st hand experience ? More talking about stats and news reports.
NYC has the same reports of increases from the all time lows of pre covid.
In the 80s I 1st hand saw plenty of crimes or the after crime scenes.
Not seeing anything like those days.
Today's numbers are no where near 80s numbers

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
I didnt see anybody talk about 1st hand experience ? More talking about stats and news reports.
NYC has the same reports of increases from the all time lows of pre covid.
In the 80s I 1st hand saw plenty of crimes or the after crime scenes.
Not seeing anything like those days.
Today's numbers are no where near 80s numbers

I have first hand experience where I am. That and all the local news stories is what has led me to stop shooting in the French Quarter or in New Orleans.

Znude! wrote:
It is against the law to brandish a gun in almost all states in all instances. The definition of brandishing may differ from state to state. I'm pretty sure it's not limited to "damn white people." I also don't understand what you mean by "interesting timing."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/indiana-ma … 5-seconds/
However I did find this story about a gun in a mall.

I very rarely photograph anyone or anything in a mall although I have in the French Market area of New Orleans. It's an open air outdoor type mall though.

I also don't think someone concentrating on taking photographs would be effective at self protection with a gun or any other weapon because he / she would be too distracted.

My apologies for not being clear.  The mall in which the woman brandished the gun in the article I cited, is the major mall that is in my community.  It was interesting timing because of this thread and my illustration of the crime rating being very poor in the community, though I was not previously aware of it.  This incident will be one more statistic contributing to the poor crime rating of the community next year.

It is illegal in Pennsylvania to brandish a gun, but it is not illegal to show someone a gun.  For it to be illegal, it has to be done in a threatening manner.  That stipulation seems a bit ambiguous.  Simply pulling back your jacket and showing a gun in a holster could be threatening.  https://aizmanlaw.com/penal-code-417-br … ing%20way.

It is unfortunate for this woman that she is using videos, probably from the internet, to learn about when and how to (in)appropriately use a gun in self defense.  I think that if you question if three other women are in line for food, there are better ways of deescalating the situation.  Such as, umm, shrugging your shoulders and saying, “Please go ahead of me ladies.”

A neighbor of mine, from time to time, gives me shit because I haven't gotten my concealed carry permit. (I had one once.)  He seems to think that guns are going to be taken away or the laws regarding concealed carry are going to tighten.  I don't carry for many reasons.  I think that my customers will not appreciate it.  I think that having a gun is threatening to other people and they react accordingly.  I think that people will call the police to report me if they see my gun (Pennsylvania is an open carry state) and I do not need any more interaction with the police then what I get now.  I also think that that interaction would become much more tense if it involves a report of a gun.  I do not want to give them a reason to make me lay in the mud.

The nature of my work causes me to have to interact with a lot of people.  I am dirty.  My clothes are often not in the best shape.  Working in thickets is hard on clothing.  Some people think I don't belong "there."  I am good enough at defusing and de-escalating and when I explain the process, the great majority of people are cool.  But that one in 100- man. 

Why threaten violence?  I often am carrying a shovel, a very long machete and other tools which people would have no idea as to their function.  When I am approaching someone, or they are approaching me, I set the tools aside.  When I knock on someone's door, even with empty hands, I step well back from the door.  I don't want to give any impression of being a threat and creating space helps.  How could having a gun help?

I specify "white people" because it seems like it is white people that are most likely to over-blow the perception of crime and want to possess and carry firearms for protection.  Though a friend of mine that is in China frequently sends me articles and makes comments about how dangerous it is in America and that she doesn't want to come back because of the danger.  Especially because of the trump related increase in violent crime against Asians.

(Some other time I will tell you a story about having pruning clippers on my belt, in a holster, and how that acted as a deterrent.)

What has the political rational regarding crime on the right historically been?  Isn’t it white grievance?  When the incongruent penalties for cocaine and crack came about, weren’t the harsher penalties for crack about the perception among white people that blacks were responsible for drug related crime?  What better way to punish blacks more than whites for drug related crime than to make the penalties harsher for the drugs chosen by blacks?

Wasn’t this also true when Nixon put heroin and pot on the class one drug lists?  He was not only attacking people by race, but for their political associations.

BLM matters are cast as violent riots by the right, when:
“-Approximately 94% of all pro-BLM demonstrations have been peaceful, with 6% involving reports of violence, clashes with police, vandalism, looting, or other destructive activity.
-In [that] remaining 6%, it is not clear who instigated the violent or destructive activity. While some cases of violence or looting have been provoked by demonstrators, other events have escalated as a result of aggressive government action, intervention from right-wing groups or individual assailants, and car-ramming attacks.
-In contrast, demonstrations involving right-wing militias or militant social movements have turned violent or destructive over twice as often, or nearly 14% of the time. “(1)

The white majority has painted protests as illegal and destructive gatherings and “[o]pponents of the movement have seized the moment to introduce over 100 “anti-protest” bills in over 30 states, with new legislation increasing the penalties for protesting and even granting immunity for drivers who strike demonstrators with their vehicles.” (1)

The former guy cleared a peaceful gathering for a photo op and not only used violent government actions to do it, he had proposed greater levels of violence against protesters. ""The president was enraged," Esper recalled. "He thought that the protests made the country look weak, made us look weak and 'us' meant him. And he wanted to do something about it.
"We reached that point in the conversation where he looked frankly at [Joint Chiefs of Staff] Gen. [Mark] Milley and said, 'Can't you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?' ... It was a suggestion and a formal question. And we were just all taken aback at that moment as this issue just hung very heavily in the air." "(2)  trump seems enraged all the time.  But that works well for rightist talk radio and rightist instigators in other media.

Conversely, what did trump say to the angry majority white mob that stormed the capital with murderous intent (does anyone doubt Pelosi’s fate had they found her in a vulnerable position?) and beat the police without mercy? “I know your pain, I know you’re hurt,” Trump said. “But you have to go home now, we have to have peace. We have to have law and order, we have to respect our great people in law and order.”
In another tweet sent later Wednesday, Trump appeared to justify the mob’s actions.
“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long,” he wrote. “Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!”(3). Seems like he let them know how much they were appreciated and loved by the administration.

Furthermore, it is white people that historically have been those with the guns and concealed carry permits.  It isn’t just perception, it is fact based on the data from those states that include race on concealed carry permits.  Those numbers did start to shift during the Obama years.  Imagine that.  “The study found that Obama's 2008 election had a permanent effect on the number of US guns in circulation. Moreover, the states with the biggest increases in demand for firearms had larger increases in gun-related crimes.” (4). The part in bold, is actually kind of important, wouldn’t you say? Admittedly, Obama did call for some gun control measures and I doubt anyone would be surprised that guns sales spiked when he did.  So, who was buying all these guns?  Do we really think it was the black population running out and stocking up?  46% of non-hispanic whites live in a household with a gun.  35% of non-whites do.(5)  The white, non-Hispanic population, without another race, decreased by 8.6% since 2010, according to the new data from the 2020 census. The U.S. is now 57.8% white, 18.7% Hispanic, 12.4% Black and 6% Asian. (6)(7). Ya’ll can do the math.

It is true that in recent years, the numbers of people that are not white have been purchasing guns and getting concealed carry permits.  I know one retired MD in New Jersey who is an American citizen of Chinese birth and she surprised me when she asked me about which guns to buy.  I was also surprised she got permits to buy and carry guns when a white man I knew in New Jersey couldn’t get them.  He was the spouse of an American woman of Asian decent (in other words, born here), that had given her life for the country and New Jersey refused to let him have the guns he grew up with in another state.  He moved west.  He could have come back to Pennsylvania, but he didn't, even though I had arranged for him to join us on a bear hunt.  His wife's death really f'ed him up.

The numbers of gun permits have risen sharply.  A much greater percentage of the permits have gone to women, including white women, and people of color.  Part of the reason for that has been the loosening of gun laws and the reduction of fees and mandatory training time in places like Texas.(8)  "Other gun-friendly laws: Allow foster homes to store guns and ammunitions together, rather than separately; gun owners to visibly display their weapons while in a motor vehicle; and junior marshals to carry concealed guns instead of storing them in schools and colleges. During the same legislative session, Abbott signed the Second Amendment Sanctuary Act, which forbids local agencies from enforcing new federal gun rules. Further, government agencies in the state, including cities, counties, and school districts, are banned from signing contracts with businesses that discriminate against the firearm industry."(13). "Gov. Greg Abbott in May signed House Bill 1927, better known as “permitless carry,” and the law was among one of the more notable 666 laws to take effect on Sept. 1. Texans 21 years and older can now carry handguns without a license or training so long as they’re not prohibited from doing so by state or federal law."(14). And now, we are going to be privileged to have people too young to drink to be able to carry handguns! "DALLAS -- A federal judge has struck down one of Texas' few remaining firearm restrictions, finding a law that barred adults under the age of 21 from carrying a handgun was unconstitutional.(15)

Furthermore, in the past, guns laws were meant to deprive people of color from owning weapons.(9)  Another reason for the increase in women buying weapons, besides the fear of minority driven crime, has been that gun manufacturers have targeted women by creating a more feminine version of their products.

“While there is no denying that the core gun buyers – those older white guys – continue to hit the gun shops and gun shows and dominate the range, minorities and women have become the second-largest group of new or first-time gun buyers. Firearm purchases by African Americans and Latinos increased significantly in 2020, and minorities continued to buy guns at a record pace in 2021 as well.

According to the latest data from Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting, some 18 million guns had been purchased by the end of November. Gun sales in 2021 outpaced every year except 2020, when 22.8 million guns were sold by the same point.” (10)

Accordingly, those who are buying their third, fifth, or twenty-second gun, tend to be white males.

"The Second Amendment and gun rights have been the Black community’s right, and a lot of Black people are starting to realize it," Kourtney Redmond of the 761st Gun Club, a Black firearms education group based in the Chicago suburbs, told The Washington Times
The group, which is named after the U.S. Army's 761st Tank Battalion – an all-Black unit that fought in the Second World War – reportedly expanded its membership by 30 percent in 2021, the largest increase it has seen since its founding. It is also a chapter of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA), which was created in 2015.
There had already been a rise of NAAGA membership across the country following the election of President Donald Trump, but it increased further after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020. Membership in NAAGA grew by 25 percent in 2020, and by the end of that year it had more than 40,000 members nationwide.
"The police department and government isn't going to save the Black community, and a lot of Black people are realizing the first line of defense is yourself," added Redmond.
With the rise of ownership among minorities, it is no wonder that support for gun control has been on the decline. (10)

While it may seem like I am arguing against myself here, it is partially because of the general perception around the country that guns were a white male thing that have lead to gun interests in other demographics.  Is it unreasonable for people to fear armed white people when political discourse for generations has been to exploit the white fears of minorities?  If white Americans so readily believe that any Democratic leadership means that the government is coming for their guns and they need to be better armed and better prepared- doesn’t that extend as a threat to non-whites and women?

“Two days after a white man shot and killed 10 Black people in Buffalo last month, Michael Moody reversed his thinking about possessing a firearm. He had watched the aftermath of the carnage on the news, the anguish of the victims’ families, and decided he “needed a gun. Needed, not wanted,” he said.

Through chatting with others while waiting, Moody said he learned “a lot of us have the same idea. It’s getting bad when someone specifically targets Black people to shoot. We have to be prepared to fight back. And you can’t survive bringing a knife to a gunfight.”

Moody’s sentiments represent one reason the sale of guns to Black Americans rose 58 percent in 2020 — the year George Floyd was murdered by a Minnesota police officer, sparking a nationwide social justice movement — according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms trade association. It was the highest bump in gun sales of any ethnic group that year.
Further, in the first quarter of 2021, another NSSF report revealed 90 percent of gun retailers reported a general increase of Black customers, including an 87 percent increase among Black women. 
“And you wonder why?” said Moody, ….(11)

That discussion has to be balanced against the likelihood of being shot by the police while legally carrying a gun- and not brandishing it or reaching for it - like Philando Castile.  "In the video, the woman describes being pulled over for a "busted tail light" and says her boyfriend had told the officer he was carrying a gun for which he was licensed. She says he was shot as he reached for his wallet."

Castile's girlfriend said Thursday that he was killed even though he complied with the officer's instructions. Diamond Reynolds told reporters that Castile did "nothing but what the police officer asked of us, which was to put your hands in the air and get your license and registration."(12)

Discussion about minority ownership of guns may be a good thing.  For those white supremacists and other haters that long for the start of a race war (ie., Dylan Roof), you best remember the others are also armed now, so back off the stupid rhetoric.   You aren’t brave enough to do it anyway.  That is why these wannabe commandos go to churches, schools, malls and other soft targets.

Finally, you mentioned the mall shooting where an armed shopper killed a mall attacker in 15 seconds and probably saved scores of lives.  I commend him for some of his actions, but I have a problem with it as well.  No guns were permitted in the mall, and despite the positive outcome, he was too belligerent to respect the wishes of the owners of the mall and he did what the hell he wanted.  White privilege?  That episode will embolden many other people to ignore laws and the rights of others and carry their guns where ever they please.  Are they hoping to be a hero also?  Because nearly 400 LE officers waited 70 minutes to go after one, lone, deranged, killer of little kids in Texas.  That give me the feeling that knowing you are going up against an AR-15 type gun might be a bit scary.

BTW, photography isn't allowed in that mall either.  I was talked to about it when I had a camera with me while waiting in line.  Cardinal Cameras did (does?) have a store in there.  I was using the time to learn about the operation of the camera.  I explained and they let me be.

(1) https://acleddata.com/2021/05/25/a-year … -movement/
(2) https://www.npr.org/2022/05/09/10975174 … -secretary
(3) https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/trump-t … tolen.html
(4) https://www.vox.com/2016/1/21/10801664/obama-gun-sales
(5) https://www.statista.com/statistics/623 … ethnicity/
(6) https://www.google.com/search?q=united+ … p;ie=UTF-8
(7) https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/ … /PST045221
(8) (will edit it in when I find it again)
(9) https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/media/29 … ontrol.pdf
(10) https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/ … ies-199275
(11) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/bla … -rcna32150
(12) https://www.wbur.org/news/2016/07/07/mi … do-castile
(13) https://qz.com/2169922/recent-texas-law … arry-guns/
(14) https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south- … -in-texas-
(15) https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fed … n-88900675

Hunter  GWPB wrote:
Damn white people and their insistence on being armed.

Since my first reaction to the question was "CCW" (but only with appropriate training that admonishes repeatedly "never brandish; give a verbal warning, and only unholster your weapon if you intend to shoot, and only shoot if you intend to kill"), I thought I would throw this in.

I'm good with words. I'm also 6'1" and while the weight has varied over the past five decades, I'm still relatively imposing. Those who have approached me when shooting models are usually pretty understanding when I explain that we're working, on the clock, expensively, and that I don't really want to afford the distractions that spectators always are. I've actually given some my business card and invited them to follow-up and see the finished product(s). I can't say whether any of them are among my patrons, but it's possible.

That having been said, I have also lived and shot in remote rural areas and communities to which people emigrate because they can't consistently manage being around other people peacefully. According to our county sheriff at one point, response times were roughly forty-five minutes in most areas...so long as it was before 10:00 p.m. or after 4:00 a.m. During the night, no deputies were assigned to our end of the county. Still, I didn't carry concealed regularly, even after the close encounter with a mountain lion (at the time, the home-protection firearm of choice was a .44 magnum carbine rifle). Only after making the acquaintance of a second bear in close proximity to my unnatural habitat did I invest in nice, shiny 1911 (and the range membership, ammunition, and training to be sure I was again equipped to use it under stressful conditions as I had been during an earlier era of my life).

In short, while I don't insist on it, I do highly recommend responsible carrying, with consistent training.

Just thought that needed to be included in the conversation, especially as "urban wildlife" of various types continues to proliferate.

Hunter  GWPB wrote:
"Crime rates changed dramat­ic­ally across the United States in 2020. Most signi­fic­antly, the murder rate — that is, the number of murders per 100,000 people — rose sharply, by nearly 30 percent. Assaults increased as well, with the rate of offenses rising by more than 10 percent. Both increases are part of a broader surge in gun viol­ence. More than 75 percent of murders in 2020 were commit­ted with a fire­arm, reach­ing a new high point, and cities that report data on shoot­ing incid­ents, like New York, saw signi­fic­ant increases in this form of viol­ence as well."

Yeah, the crime problem is because of the DA in Philly.  That is a laugh. 

The crime rating for Cherry Hill, New Jersey is 26 (the safest rating being 100).  Are you afraid to walk down the streets there?



Who was president in 2020?  trump.  The buck stops there.

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ … lent-crime

Got to love statistics.
Cherry hill NJ Violent crimes  88
Phil                                   15,754
Cherry hill property.            1,517
Phil                                   63,036
Cherry Hill Odds of being a crime victim 1 IN 849
Phil                                                           1 IN 102

Crime index of 26 VS 8,  No I feel very safe in Cherry Hill. When I first moved here 40+ years ago the previous owner never closed his garage door, never had anything stolen I still have a neighbor sho does the same. My guess is most of the crime is at either the Cherry Hill mall ( retail theft and stolen cars from parking lot) and some of the apartment complexes ).
In the 40 years I have lived here there have bento the best of my knowledge less than 10 murders, three were murder for hire and committed outside of the township, one was an officer involved shooting ( guy was trying to run her down with a stolen car in mall parking lot ( gun1, car 0 ) compared to 500+ murders LAST YEAR in Philly. They dont break down from what state the criminal comes from but we are and Philly to Cherry Hill is 9 miles and from Camden NJ is 5 miles, both high crime neighborhood. Camden has improved greatly since the state disbanded the corrupt Camden police Dept and replaced it with a County police ( that only works in the city) and their crime rate is 8 with odds of being a violent crime victim is 1 in 61. I haven't been in Camden in years except to visit the Battleship New Jersey ( plenty of guns on board)

By the way government in both have been Democrat led for years but here we actually prosecute crime vs a DA who claims to be the best defense lawyer in the courtroom and is a former Public Defender. First week in office he downgraded a knifing that resulted in death to a misdemeanor with no jail time. So yes I blame a George Soros funded DA,

https://www.neighborhoodscout.com for the stats

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
Short Answer No
I have seen no 1st hand increase of crime.
Crime levels are no where near the numbers of the 80s back then I saw lots of crime 1st hand.
The media has got their teeth into a  fear mongering story that they will sensationalize for max profit.
Like those who fear shark attack in a land locked state....no sale here.

The notable increase in (property and violent) crime in New Orleans, L.A., San Francisco and elsewhere has absolutely nothing to do with the media.  Whether the media reports crime or not, or sensationalizes crime or not, has nothing to do with the number of robberies, violent crime, drug over doses, increasing number of drug paraphernalia on sidewalks and in the streets in residential areas, etc...

Znude! wrote:
Has an increase in crime had an impact on your choice of location?...

I don't live in a crime area, however I have lived in/own(ed) property in New Orleans, upper northern united states, mid-west, east and west coasts, and Florida.    Crime is definitely getting worse in many areas in part because of an increase in poverty, low-rent apartments, cheap housing tracts, in many areas that had none and increased crime is practically always the result of having a higher incidence of poorer people.

I used to like shooting in the French Quarter and even some areas on the West Bank, but not only is the crime worse -- but the city as a whole (New Orleans proper) has become even more undesirable.   It was a relatively quick day trip from Florida's Gulf Coast in a single engine airplane (Cessna 210, Beach Bonanza, etc..) where we could shoot on the beach, fly to Dolphin Island and shoot, then on into New Orleans for the evening fun and photographs, returning before sunrise.   Those were the days, but crime was bad then too (80's and 90's).  I do prefer shooting in New Orleans' street cars over San Fran's cable cars... and prefer San Francisco's trolley's best.

I prefer to shoot in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it's gotten so bad over the last few years that I've all but given it up as well.  Too many homeless nuts, and poor people on drugs (yes, poor people) - - I've never once been bothered by a CPA, Attorney, or Real Estate Broker with a serious coke habit or heroin addiction... they're not the people breaking into people's vehicles all around the city, or pooping and urinating on the sidewalks.

Judging on how immigration is going - it's going to get worse.  Many areas in California are starting to look like Mexico's infamous Ciudad Juarez ...  a crime ridden cess pool.    Yes, many areas are getting worse across the U.S., and some areas have gotten much worse over the years in the context of increased crime.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
I didnt see anybody talk about 1st hand experience ?

Here is a detailed, first-hand account from the very first post of this thread:

Znude! wrote:
I notice the film crews now hire armed guards when they shoot in the city, usually off duty police.

Here is another, detailed first-hand experience:

Beauty Grenade wrote:
I don't live in a high crime area, statistically, but the increase of drug use has absolutely impacted my location selection.
Even shooting in well travelled areas doesn't prevent the needles, spoons and other paraphernalia from becoming a problem. So far, all have been safe, but I now carry a sharps kit (compliments of the local PD) and scout the area pre shoot.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
More talking about stats and news reports.

No.  It seems to me that, with one exception, it is the armchair statisticians in this thread who are using numbers to try to dissuade those who have actually witnessed crime increases in their areas.  In contrast, the one exception here is quoting statistics that seem to show an increase in crime.

Regardless, nobody here is going to give up their prized locations just because of some news reports and/or numbers.  The crime problems that we are now observing at formerly tame shooting areas are real.

Neither sensationalism nor politics is involved in what we are seeing first-hand.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
NYC has the same reports of increases from the all time lows of pre covid.
In the 80s I 1st hand saw plenty of crimes or the after crime scenes.
Not seeing anything like those days.
Today's numbers are no where near 80s numbers

Again, just because things are tame in your area, it doesn't mean that it is the same everywhere else.