Blaming the Pandemic for Crime
A July 20 New York Times piece by Tim Arango reports on a survey of 30 large U.S. cities by the Council on Criminal Justice which found that homicides over the first six months of 2023 have declined by 9.4% compared to last year. If the trend continues, Arango suggests it could be the largest one-year drop in homicides ever recorded. Noting that there were 202 fewer homicides among the surveyed cities, which included New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Denver, they remain 24% higher than over the same period in 2019. Other serious crimes including aggravated assault, robbery, commercial and residential burglary declined by 5% or less, while motor vehicle theft increased by over 33%. The survey also noted a stunning 39% decline in drug offenses. The Times reported that many experts agree that “the disruptions of the pandemic–the social isolation, the closure of schools and jobs lost — likely led to an increase in crime.” While “an unproven theory cited by some experts amid the social unrest that followed the murder of Mr. Floyd, officers in some places pulled back from enforcement…”
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