CRIMEWhy Homicide Rates Spiked 30% During the Pandemic
The number of homicides in the United States spiked almost 30% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a phenomenon seen in both cities and rural areas, and in Republican and Democratic-leaning states. While there have been calls from some quarters to abolish or defund the police, the vast majority of Americans oppose getting rid of police departments.
The number of homicides in the United States spiked almost 30% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a phenomenon seen in both cities and rural areas, and in Republican and Democratic-leaning states.
The proliferation of guns, pandemic stress and diminished public trust in the police all contributed to the increase in homicides nationwide, according to Justin Nix, an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
“We have evidence that gun carrying in public spaces was up. … We know that the pandemic, with all of its strains and the uncertainties that it produced, the economic anxiety produced, likely played a role,” says Nix. “And then, lastly, the murder of George Floyd and the protests that happened after that sparked a police legitimacy crisis.”
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered by a white police officer in Minnesota, igniting nationwide protests against police brutality.
Previous research shows that officers reduce their efforts and crime increases in the aftermath of police killings that draw significant public attention.
“Police do slow down partly out of fear of being the next officer to get dragged on social media or in the news,” Nix says. “It’s a fear among officers that, ‘Even if I use force lawfully, even if I stopped this person, and it escalates into a use-of-force incident, even if my behaviors were perfectly legally reasonable, I still might find myself being the next star of a viral video.’”
Additionally, members of the public might be less likely to call police to report a crime, fearing their actions could do more harm than good.
“[They think] ‘If I call the police and they show up and they end up abusing this person or using excessive force on this person, I don’t want to contribute to what I see as a problem, so it’s safer for me to just not call 911,’” Nix says. “If people don’t report being victimized or report seeing other people victimized by criminal activity, then a lot of that will go unnoticed by the police.”
Clinical psychologist Dr. Maria Espinola, who has worked in jails and juvenile centers and is familiar with people who have violent tendencies, says certain people can grow more aggressive when they’re under stress.