The United States has started to see a sharp decline in the number of homicides this year compared to the sudden rise in cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AH Datalytics revealed preliminary figures from data analysis that showed homicide is down nearly 13% from this point last year. In a statement, Analyst Jeff Asher said that the overall trend was "extraordinarily positive" and it should be recognized as such.
Sharp Decline in Homicides
The United States is expected to end the year with roughly 18,450 homicides, which is down from last year's 21,156. A separate ABC News analysis of data from the ten largest cities across the nation showed that seven have seen double-digit year-over-year declines in homicides this year.
This number includes New York, which saw a drop in homicide cases of 11%, Los Angeles 16%, and Chicago 13%. However, the data has not yet translated into a change in public perception regarding homicides in the United States, as per The Hill.
A Gallup poll released earlier this month found that 77% of surveyed Americans believe that crime has increased in the past year. Additionally, more than half of the participants said that crime has risen where they live.
Asher summarized the disparity between data and perception by urging people to tell their family and friends about the misconception. On the other hand, Gallup dove deeper into personal attitudes toward crime in the country.
Analysts for Gallup said that Americans' deteriorating perceptions of the crime problem correspond with a recent rise in the percentage of reporting that crime has affected their household.
Asher added that murder cases in the United States plummeted this year, noting that it saw one of the fastest rates of decline ever recorded. Earlier this month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also released data showing that other forms of violent crime are set to decline, too, according to Axios.
Differences in Public Perception
On the other hand, motor vehicle thefts are set to rise, which could result from defects within specific car models. This includes some Kia and Hyundai vehicles that are easier to steal than others.
While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for declining crime in the U.S., Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said that federal assistance to local law enforcement agencies is partially responsible.
During an interview, she said that authorities are using tools such as crime-gun intelligence, which is the ability to trace the gun and the spent shell casing from a crime scene to identify who the shooter was and how many violent crimes they have been involved with.
The drop in cases comes as in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and protests surged across the nation following the death of George Floyd, which resulted in the largest increase in murders that has ever been recorded in the United States.
The perception of rising crime in the country most likely comes from social media videos of flash mob-style shoplifting incidents. Criminologists also attribute the recent drop in homicide cases to the pandemic's sliding into the rearview mirror, according to the New York Times.
