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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 29 december 2020

As COVID-19 ravages U.S., shootings, killings are also up

Continued from Front tality that swept the nation
this year, but the majority of
Authorities and some ex- those protests were peace-
perts say there is no one ful. Trump also claimed the
clear-cut reason for the crime was concentrated in
spike. They instead point Democratic-run cities, but
to social and economic there have been spikes in
upheaval caused by the Republican-run cities as
COVID-19 virus, public well. Federal agents and
sentiment toward police resources were poured into
following George Floyd's Detroit and a number of
death in Minneapolis po- other cities this summer to
lice custody and a historic help local authorities collar
shortage of jobs and re- the rising crime rates.
sources in poorer commu- By early October, more
nities as contributing fac- homicides — 363 — were
tors. It's happening in cities recorded in Philadelphia
large and small, Democrat than the 356 committed in
and Republican-led. 2019. There were 354 killings
Two years ago, Detroit had in New York through Oct.
261 homicides — the fewest 11 — 90 more than at the
in decades. The tally has same time last year.
hovered around there with In this July 10, 2020 file photo, Detroit Police Chief James Craig shows a photograph of the handgun Between Jan. 1 and Nov.
about 786 shootings for a used by a man who shot at police officers at close range while they were arresting his friend. 5, 165 homicides were re-
Associated Press
city of more than 672,000. corded in Milwaukee, the
But with only a few days left illegal guns. There were Crime in parts of the U.S. sponse to that." most since 1991. And in
in 2020, homicides already 2,797 similar arrests last dropped during the early Calls for some cities to re- Chicago, after three years
have topped 300, while year. "I've not seen a spike weeks of the pandemic duce funding for police of falling homicide num-
non-fatal shootings are up like this. But when it's hap- when stay-at-home or- departments may have led bers, the totals skyrocketed
more than 50% at more pening in other cities — ders closed businesses and some officers to take a less to 739 in mid-December
than 1,124 through the mid- some smaller — what do forced many people to re- aggressive approach to compared with 475 at the
dle of December. we all have in common?" main indoors. policing, he added. same point last year.
"I think the pandemic — Craig said of the slayings University of Pennsylvania What the COVID-19 vi- Even smaller cities like
COVID — has had a signifi- and shootings. "That's when economics professor David rus did was exacerbate Grand Rapids are suffering.
cant emotional impact on you start thinking about Abrams said crime began all of the frustration and By mid-December there
people across the country," COVID." to spike in May and June anger that some in Black were 35 homicides com-
Detroit Police Chief James Washington, D.C., a city of when initial orders in some and brown communi- pared with 16 through all of
Craig said. "Individuals are about 700,000, has seen states were lifted. ties already were dealing 2019 and nine the year be-
not processing how they more than 187 homicides Some people "may have with, according to retired fore. From this January to
manage disputes. Whether this year, eclipsing last been a little stir crazy," Michigan State University October, non-fatal shoot-
domestics, arguments, dis- year's total by more than Abrams said. "At the end of sociology professor Carl ings topped 200 in the city,
putes over drugs, there's 20. Among the most horri- May, George Floyd's killing Taylor. The virus has killed which is home to about
this quickness to use an ille- ble: A 15-month-old baby led to protests and looting. more than 300,000 people 200,000 people. Over the

gally carried firearm." boy was shot to death dur- That led to police reform across the country, with mi- same period last year there
About 7,000 guns had ing a drive-by shooting. movements. Any of that nority communities hardest were 131 non-fatal shoot-
been seized through mid- "We're all sick of the hei- could have potentially af- hit. "The COVID has been ings.
December in Detroit, with nous crimes in our city," said fected individual behav- absolutely the trigger of "This year, is it because of
more than 5,500 arrests for Mayor Muriel Bowser. ior and also the police re- an everlasting bomb that's COVID? The political po-
exploding in many parts of larization we have seen?"
our community," he added. asked Sgt. Dan Adams,
Nowhere is that more spokesman for the Grand
true than inside people's Rapids Police Department.
homes. "The COVID crisis "This year has been a year
and the economic shut- like no other. I don't think
down is forcing people you can point to any one
into their homes, creating 'why.'"
conditions where people It is the same for other
are more volatile," said Kim mid-sized cities. Last year,
Foxx, the top prosecutor there were 18 homicides in
in Cook County, which in- Rockford, a city of about
cludes Chicago. And the 170,000 people in northern
most jarring statistic that Illinois. More than 30 have
illustrates that volatility is been killed so far this year,
this: The number of do- including three Saturday
mestic-related homicides at a bowling alley.
in the nation's third-largest "As we come to the end of
city are up more than 60% this most difficult year and
compared with last year. we look ahead at this New
President Donald Trump Year upon us, we know that
claimed spiking crime was this type of violence needs
somehow related to mas- to stop," Rockford Mayor
sive protests over police bru- Tom McNamara said.q