Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, 66 miles (106 km) northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan. Genesee County is also the entirety of Flint’s metropolitan area, the fourth largest metropolitan area in Michigan with a population of 425,790 in 2010.
Flint is most known for being the birthplace of General Motors (GM), and the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936–37 that played a vital role in the formation of the United Auto Workers. Flint is also home to the headquarters of Citizens Republic Bancorp. Flint Charter Township is adjacent to the city on the west but is politically independent. Bishop International Airport is also part of the city, even though it is surrounded by Flint Township.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Flint gained a reputation as a city with a high crime rate. According to FBI statistics, Flint’s violent crime rate has been in the top five among U.S. cities with a population of at least 50,000 people for the years 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. In 2007 the FBI ranked Flint as the second most violent city in the U.S, while in both 2008 and 2009 Flint had the fifth highest violent crime rate. FBI data shows in 2009 Flint had 2,244 violent crimes, including 36 homicides, 91 rapes and 1,527 felonious assaults. While homicides and assaults increased in 2009, rapes and robberies decreased, contributing to an overall 3 percent drop in crime. “It’s been a very difficult year,” Walling said on December 16, hours after the city’s 64th homicide. In dealing with the city’s multimillion-dollar deficit, Walling laid off 66 police officers in 2010, including the 20 layoffs that took effect December 17, 2010.
“Families of Murder Children Support Group” Robert Johnson noted the growing numbers of unsolved Homicides in the City of Flint: 2008 32 homicides, 19 convictions; 2009 36 homicides and 12 unsolved; and 2010 to date 64 homicides with 33 unsolved. As a result of the record number of homicides in 2010, a research report was published by the Center for Homicide Research describing the problem and proposing public policy changes. The Layoff numbers, according to Keith Spears (Police officers Union President) “In February ’09 Walling laid off 46. December 17, 2010 Mayor Walling laid off another 20. In 2008 we had 208 patrol officers (this is not counting Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, and the Chief). As of December 17, 2010, we had 67 patrol officers left. In 2008 Williamson laid off 48 officers. There have been a total of 114 lay offs since 2008, but we have lost a total of 141 positions. That’s because they did not replace some positions after officers retired” “We’re trying to take care of it as much as we can.”
According to a study of FBI crime statistics by CQ Press, in 2010, Flint was named the “fourth most dangerous city in the United States.” In December 2011, Flint rose to the number 1 spot on the list.
According to a 2011 national poll by 24/7 Wall St. Flint was named the most dangerous city in the U.S. in 2011.
On September 28, 2011 it was announced the Flint Police Department has been awarded $1,225,638 from the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program to re-hire 6 laid off patrol officers. The officers are scheduled to be on the job starting in October 2011.
On December 19, 2011, it was reported that Flint’s violent crime rate for the first half of 2011 was ranked #2 by the FBI, with St. Louis, Missouri taking the #1 spot. The report stated crime in every category, except motor vehicle thefts, was down as compared to the same period in 2010.
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