Serious Crime Increased During Floyd Riots

Police Departments in U.S. cities where the largest George Floyd protests occurred are reporting substantial increases in burglaries, shootings and murderers over the first week of June. The Associated Press and Stephanie Pegones of Fox News report that burglaries and shootings increased dramatically in Minneapolis, where Floyd died on May 25. Nineteen people were shot and two killed during the initial week of protests.  There were 250 burglaries during the same period, a 220% increase over the same week last year.  The week of protests in Chicago resulted in the deadliest 24-hour period in 60 years, with 18 people killed.  Police reported orchestrated burglaries where multiple cars would pull up to a store then thieves smashed the windows, loaded merchandise into the cars and drove away.  In another case, thieves called police to report a burglary in a mall, then broke into and looted a box store on the other side of town.

Los Angeles police report that between May 31 and June 6, as the city was overrun with so called non-violent protests, shootings increased by 56% with murders up by 250%.  Governor Newsom’s executive order requiring zero bail undoubtedly contributed to the increased violence and burglaries as well.  In Oakland two officers protecting the federal courthouse were shot. Officer Dave Underwood, who was black, died in the shooting.  His partner was critically wounded.  In New York, police reported 909 burglaries as protesters filled the streets over the first week of June, a 402.2% increase over last year.  Over the same period there were 48 shootings and 13 murders, an increase of 160% from a year ago.  During the protests last Wednesday night, two NYPD Officers were shot and one stabbed in the neck while sitting in their patrol car.  The stabbed officer is in critical condition.  The 22-year-old suspect was shot by return fire and has been hospitalized.

It is clear that the highly organized protests over the unlawfull killing of one African American man enabled a crime spree that cost the lives of dozens of law abiding men, women and children of several races.  Black Lives Matter owns this.