the perception of crime, pt. 1.

I'm from Jefferson County, MO.

Some people have no idea where that is or what it is known for. However, if you're from Jefferson County, you know exactly what it is known for. Or was. Meth.

There is some good news: Jefferson County is no longer the meth capital of the U.S.

I remember in high school, when we reached the chapter focusing on drugs in Health class, our county having the reputation that it did was always mentioned. Specifically, in one video we watched in class, I will never forget one of the officers in Jefferson County proposing the idea that maybe there weren't that many more people doing meth, but that maybe there were more people being busted for it. I recognize that it was a biased opinion, but I think it was noteworthy one.

I can't help but have similar feelings surrounding the crime and the perception of crime here in Columbia, MO. Based off a lot of what I have heard from my peers, they don't feel safe living in Columbia. Though most of them are here for a temporary time, a lot of them don't even consider Columbia to be home, because it isn't a place where they feel safety and security. I think this is due to a multitude of reasons: there are a lot of sexual assaults on campus, there has been a manhunt during a handful of students' time here, a man was shot in a University parking garage and so on. 

It makes sense that students don't feel safe here.

But how dangerous and unsafe is Columbia really?

In case you didn't know, Columbia is a very journalistic town. Almost nothing goes unnoticed or unreported. Along the lines of the theory from one of the officers mentioned earlier, what if it's the same idea? What if it's not that there is more crime, but that there are more people finding out about crime?  If you think about it, Columbia is fairly aware of what is happening.

This is only pt. 1 of this series where I hope to explore crime in Columbia. I plan to gain different perspectives on this topic, talk to students, do research and determine the reality of the safety in Columbia.