Between 2008 and 2011, 1 in every 8 murders in Atlantic City took place at Trump's Taj Mahal casino


For a period between 2008 and 2011, one in every eight murders in Atlantic City took place at Donald Trump's Taj Mahal casino. During that same period of time, there was not a single slaying at any other casino in the city, The Daily Beast reports.
The staggering number of homicides apparently stems from slashes to the Taj's security budget, which left one guard to patrol the casino's 11-story garage as well as the "entire perimeter of the property, two surface parking lots, valet parking areas, porte cochere entrance, and the bus lobby." Four people were killed at the Taj Mahal over the course of those three years, during which the average number of homicides in the city was only 11.
Though Trump owned a portion of the casino at the time, he wasn't managing daily operations — a member of New Jersey's Gaming Control Commission assured The Daily Beast that the security cuts and homicide spike "wasn't the fault of Mr. Trump." But while Trump didn't have day-to-day control of the building, he was still the chairman of the company's board, boasting 10 days before the 2008 stabbing death of Arthur Prince outside the casino that, "We're really happy with what's happened with the Taj Mahal."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yet even following the 2010 kidnapping and murder of a man from the Taj Mahal's parking garage, criminal complaints arising from the car garage continued to increase 86 percent over the next two years. In fact, only 16 months after the 2010 murder, a couple was shot and killed in a carjacking in the garage.
Somewhat ironically, Trump has vowed that if he becomes president, national security will be a priority. However, his opponents have argued that America will actually be less safe with him at the helm. And indeed, if Trump were to run the country anything like he oversaw at the Taj, they might just be on to something.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Art review: Diane Arbus: Constellation
Feature Park Avenue Armory, New York City, through Aug. 17
-
July fiction: Summers to remember
Feature Featuring the latest summer-themed novels from Darrow Farr, Lucas Schaefer, and more
-
Why are flash floods in Texas so deadly?
Today's Big Question Over 100 people, including 27 girls at a summer camp, died in recent flooding
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin on August 1, with rates ranging from 25% to 40% on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration