In the United States, murders rose 30 per cent between the year 2019 to 2020, as per the statistics of annual crime that was released yesterday by the FBI. Since 1960 when the record-keeping of crime has started this is the biggest jump that took place in a single year. The reports had expanded on the preliminary data that was released last week.
6.5 killings/ 100,000 people or about 21750 homicide cases were reported in the year 2020. Despite the upsurge in the rate of homicide remains below then it was in early 1990, which were about 9.8/ 100,000 people. Although the homicides and mainly concentrated in the urban areas the FBI had cautioned against city-to-city comparisons. At the top of the last years’ list was St.Louis which had a homicide rate 10 times above the national average.
Experts have pointed out the mix of the coronavirus pandemic, falling out of the protests of Social Justice & disruption in the economy as the causes behind the rise in the rate of homicides. The rate of homicide in the year 2021 is 10% above compared to last year.
However, the rate of overall crime has fallen by 6 %.
Shani Buggs who is an assistant professor from the University of California, Davis and studies on the prevention of community violence had said that although in the big cities American violence is mostly based on the victims of colour but the data that was released by the FBI is showing an increase everywhere. She says, “ It’s urban. It’s rural. It’s Democratic. It’s Republic.
Buggs had further said that the agencies for law enforcement have made reports in the increase in illegal possession of firearms & anecdotal reports have been coming from cities though out the country that there are more guns on streets.