The murder spike in big US cities, explained – By German Lopez (VOX) / Aug 3 2020
Murders are up in big cities this summer. Here are seven possible reasons why
As if a Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t bad enough, the headlines suggest America is in the middle of a new wave of homicides — from New York City to Chicago to Minneapolis.
The data backs up the headlines, suggesting that homicide numbers are significantly higher in at least some major US cities. But it’s not clear if this is part of a nationwide phenomenon, or if it’s something isolated to urban centers, because we don’t have good data outside the large cities. To make matters more confusing, other types of crime, including violent crime overall, appear to have decreased in many of the same cities.
The increases also aren’t enough to erase the decades-long gains made in combating crime, which has fallen steadily since the 1990s. Even the cities that have seen increases are generally safer than they were just several years ago. But the homicide increases are alarming nonetheless.
What could explain an increase in homicides? Some experts have cited the protests over the police killings of George Floyd and others — which could’ve had a range of effects, from officers pulling back from their duties to greater community distrust in police, leading to more unchecked violence. Others point to the bad economy. Another potential factor is a huge increase in gun purchases this year. Still others posit boredom and social displacement as a result of physical distancing leading people to cause more trouble.
Continue to article: https://www.vox.com/2020/8/3/21334149/murders-crime-shootings-2020-coronavirus-pandemic
