Jeff Asher, co-founder and crime data analyst at criminal justice consulting firm AH Datalytics, compiled data from police departments across the country. He said that from the beginning of this year to the end of March, the number of murders was recorded in 133 cities. The corresponding period to 2023 was the same across the country. A decrease of about 20% compared to last year.

Police data shows that as of April 12, murders in Philadelphia have fallen by 35% compared to the same period last year, with murders in New York City falling by 15%;ohioColumbus saw a 58% decrease in murders.

As of March 31, there had been two murders in Boston so far this year, down from 11 during the same period last year.

Previous COVID-19pandemicThe decline comes amid a rise in murders, accelerating a trend that began last year.

In addition to last year’s downward trend, the downward trend so far in 2024 is similar to the sharp decline in murders in the late 1990s.

“You could say there are a number of places that are showing broad, very positive trends,” Ash said, “Nationally, it’s similar to what it was in the mid-to-late 1990s, but probably on a much larger scale.” Percentage decline and data.”

If this trend continues, the United States could experience the lowest murder rate since the 1960s, as it did in 2014, but police and researchers warn that crime trends are not always consistent. It is difficult to predict future murder rates.

Data analyzed by Ash showed that by early April, murder rates were rising in cities like Denver, Los Angeles and Portland, but the increase was outlier and the data from Baltimore was more specific, the city’s lowest so far this year. The murder rate has declined. up to 30.

Rapid rise in murder rates across the country during the pandemic has caused concern, alarmViolent crimeThe downward trend that has been going on for decades has lost its effectiveness. The number of murders nationwide in 2020 increased nearly 30% from the previous year, reaching 21,570, the largest single-year increase recorded by the FBI.

Researchers and officials attribute this rising trend to several factors, including crime prevention programs, courts, and prisons not functioning properly during the pandemic; Due to the unrest, young people are not attending school, law enforcement has withdrawn;

Police are now more active, departments are hiring more officers, community-based crime prevention programs have resumed, and social unrest has calmed down across the country.

United States (TagstoTranslate) Pandemic (T) Ohio (T) Violent crime