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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Has violent crime increased in Minneapolis since the George Floyd killing?

By Claire Zimmerman
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YES

Minneapolis has experienced a jump in violent crimes since the lifting of stay-home health orders and the protests following George Floyd's killing in May.

Between May 27 and Aug. 4, the city recorded 28 homicides, more than twice from the level in the year-earlier period. Total violent crime jumped 30%. Local news reports cite gang violence, an increased supply of guns and an unusual number of absences, retirements and resignations from the police department, which the City Council has voted to abolish (subject to voters' approval). The city is hiring "60 to 100 street outreach workers" to work to prevent retaliation among gang and group members, a neighborhood newspaper reports.

Year-to-date, violent crimes are up 19%, while property crimes are up 4%.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
City of Minneapolis: Minneapolis crime statistics
MPR News: Minneapolis crime continues to spike
Southwest Journal: The causes of Minneapolis' summer crime spree
StarTribune: Gun violence soars amid crises of health, public trust, officer reluctance
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.