At first, it seemed that everyone staying home would drive crime down. And it kind of did. But take away recreation, community, and school, and it’s no surprise if criminality rears its head.
“Crime fell a tremendous amount” in most U.S. cities after the lockdowns started, according to a University of Pennsylvania study, “to overall levels over 23% below the average of the same time period in the previous 5 years.”
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Vehicle thefts climbed a bit in some places. Thieves also took advantage of empty office buildings to lift some valuable equipment.
But that was the spring — before cabin fever hit full stride and before the protests and riots following George Floyd’s death. The summer and fall have revealed far more negative effects of the virus on crime. Mostly, while crime overall is down, assaults and homicides are up.
In Los Angeles, homicides were way up in the summer of lockdown compared to the summer before. Some cities have seen 50% increases in homicides year over year. Assaults have also climbed.
When reports of domestic violence fell in Chicago, city leaders were worried that it was more about women or children locked down at home having fewer opportunities to report or that there was a greater risk in reporting. Even with lower absolute numbers, domestic violence grew as a percentage of reported crimes in the city.
“Victims of domestic violence are experiencing new challenges with reporting incidents,” the city government reported, “as family justice centers, courts, and nonprofit offices, have shifted to online operations.”
And cybercriminals see an opportunity in the pandemic and its resulting lockdowns. The Justice Department, for instance, caught the Islamic State running a bogus mask business through a website called FaceMaskCenter.com.
In New York’s subway system, emptiness is proving dangerous. The New York Times reported: “So far this year, the number of reported homicides, rapes, burglaries and robberies in the subway are higher than during the same period last year, according to Police Department statistics. Incidents of vandalism have also spiked, transit officials say.”
Why? Probably because safety comes in numbers — and these days, there aren’t the numbers. A victim is much more likely to be alone on a platform or in a train car.
Many crimes are crimes of opportunity. And the pandemic has taken away some opportunities, but it has also created new ones.
