A new study published by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice has found a startling rise in violent crime in America’s largest cities during the pandemic.
According to the report, homicides in the 34-cities studied, including Dallas, showed a cumulative 30% rise.
“The major finding was a really striking increase in homicide,” said Richard Rosenfeld, the report’s lead author.
Rosenfeld said the statistics, which had to be tediously gathered in recent months, showed violent crime rose while property crime and drug offenses declined.
“We saw a 30% rise in homicide rates in the 34 cities for which we could get data,” said Rosenfeld. “Dallas homicide rates rose, but Dallas is not alone, this was a nationwide phenomenon.”
The report’s authors along with other outside experts believe a combination of factors including the economic stress of the pandemic, police departments negatively impacted by COVID-19 and growing distrust of law enforcement all contributed.
“When you add poverty, unemployment and the stressors related to COVID and on top of that people that are living with one another in close proximity without going to work – it is in fact a perfect storm,” said Dr. Alex del Carmen, Associate Dean at Tarleton State University’s school of criminology.
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*Map locations are approximate, central locations for the city and are not meant to indicate where actual infected people live.
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