The "Murder Capital". How a metaphor reflects Detroit's horrific realities

Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject American Studies - Miscellaneous, University of Heidelberg (Heidelberg Center for American Studies), language: English, abstract: The paper illustrates a bit of the history of crime in the Detroit, Michigan. The main topics are drugs and gang violence, which started as early as the 1920s with a gang named the "Purple Gang". The paper talks about the fundamentals of this period of time, including "bootlegging", the illegal production and dissemination of liquor. Further explanations shift to crime in our days, and to law enforcement officers and firefighters' perspectives of the dangers lurking in the city - such as gun violence and arson. Law enforcement in particular is explained in a separate chapter, talking about Detroit Police Department tax problems and prejudice concerning racial and ethnic markers.