The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/crime-trends/)
In 15 cities, including Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago, statistics showed decreases in reported crime as coronavirus cases began to surge and residents were asked to work from home. There are exceptions, with violent incidents up in Baltimore and Detroit.
Two Italian researchers found a 40 percent reduction in most types of crime since a shelter-at-home advisory was announced in San Francisco and Oakland. Similar declines have been reported in other cities, but the researchers acknowledge more research is needed to understand the long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic on criminal behavior.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has called for social distancing because of the virus, but violence rages on. Some say marijuana legalization is the answer.
The raw number of inmates dropped six percent during the same period, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The total likely has been reduced further, especially during COVID-19.
In Los Angeles, burglaries and thefts from motor vehicles dropped sharply. In Seattle, domestic violence calls to police rose 22 percent earlier this month.
The number of serious felonies reported by the police department dropped 16.6 percent last week compared with last year. Police will try to enforce social distancing rules in parks and playgrounds.
The worsening threat of COVID-19 in the nation’s corrections systems is leading to wildly varying responses, as advocates step up calls for more drastic measures including the release of inmates from prisons and jails who do not pose criminal threats.
Killings are up 43 percent and shootings 36 percent. Last month, Mayor Lori Lightfoot met with Police Superintendent Charlie Beck and his commanders after Chicago experienced its deadliest weekend in 18 years.
Experts fear cybercriminals will focus on large corporations which rely on markets and supply chains originating in China and other areas affected by the coronavirus. The European Central Bank (ECB) has already warned banks to prepare for a possible jump in the number of cyber attacks exploiting fears of the pandemic.
A compilation of reports from 68 major cities found there were 6,486 homicides in 2019, up from 6,218 in 2018. Rapes and robberies declined. Totals for the nation won’t be reported until September.