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Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Have overall crime rates increased during the COVID-19 pandemic?

EconoFact, Econofact
no

A survey of crime rates in 25 of the largest U.S. cities shows that crime rates declined by 23% in the first month of the COVID lockdown and rates remained below the five-year average for the remainder of the year.

This is not true for all types of crime, however. For example, home burglaries declined, but burglaries of commercial establishments and car thefts rose. Drug crimes decreased by the most in this survey (65%) but some of this might reflect less stringent enforcement. Beginning in June 2020, rates of homicides and shootings began to rise. Homicide rates in large cities were up more than 30% on average in 2020, and roughly 25% overall, as compared to 2019. Large cities saw a further 24% increase in early 2021 over their rates during the same period in 2020.

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