Major U.S. cities have witnessed a worrying spike in robberies and assaults this year and murder rates are holding high, police chiefs warn – as concern over violent crime is set to drive voter turnout in the upcoming midterm elections.
The Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) of senior cops from America’s biggest forces has warned in its mid-year report of ‘shocking numbers’ of violent crimes in urban areas compared to the same period last year.
The worrying data come as law and order remain top issues for voters in November’s midterm elections, and soft-on-crime policies and calls to defund police could hurt Democrats in some crime-plagued cities.
‘Compared to 2019 midyear figures, MCCA member cities have experienced a 50 percent increase in homicides and a roughly 36 percent increase in aggravated assaults,’ the group said in a statement.
‘These shocking numbers demonstrate how the sustained increase in violent crime has disproportionately impacted major urban areas.’
The survey found that homicides and rapes were slightly down in major U.S. cities compared to the same time last year — though they remain elevated following a roughly 30 percent spike in murders between 2019 and 2020.
Still, not all cities saw a drop in murders. Atlanta saw a roughly 20 percent rise and New Orleans a 40 percent rise in homicides, while Washington D.C., Baltimore, Dallas, Phoenix, and Denver also saw increases.
Overall, violent crime rates grew by 4.4 percent in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2021, mostly due to sharp rises in the rates for robberies (13 percent) and aggravated assaults (2.6 percent).
New York City recorded a 39 percent rise in robberies and a 21 percent rise in aggravated assaults, while Los Angeles saw those figures jump by 22 percent and 21 percent respectively. San Francisco and Baltimore also saw steep rises.
It is unclear what is driving the surge, but Covid-19 created huge social upheaval and derailed government and community support systems. Gun sales also spiked during the pandemic.
Police forces are overstretched. Crime rates are rising even as cops worn out by the pandemic and disillusioned by calls to cut funding after George Floyd’s murder are quitting or retiring faster than they can be replaced.
Police chiefs are scrambling to recruit in a tight labor market while rethinking what services they can provide and what role cops should play in their communities. Many have shifted experienced officers to patrol duties to keep pace with 911 calls.
