As cities begin to emerge from pandemic, homicide rates remain high

by Stephen Loiaconi

April 7, 2021

WASHINGTON (SBG) — Homicide rates in many U.S. cities remained elevated through early 2021, a distressing trend that began before the coronavirus pandemic struck, and experts are still trying to determine exactly why it is happening and how long it might last.

“I can tell you what we don’t know is a lot more than what we do know,” said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

… Butts cautioned against inferring cause and effect or making substantial policy changes in response to what could turn out to be a temporary variation. The wide range of communities in which increases in homicides occurred indicates the trend has relatively little to do with local policies and conditions. “There are always people ready to jump on a crime increase and do the Chicken Little, sky-is-falling routine,” he said.

Chicago police work the scene of a shooting early Tuesday, April 6, 2021 in Chicago. Police say seven people were shot and wounded in a Chicago neighborhood overnight in the city’s latest wave of gun violence. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune via AP)

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