Pandemic Crime

Wave: Causes and

Responses
Thomas Abt
Senior Fellow, Council on Criminal
Justice

June 3, 2021 | 12 pm ET
CRIME IN U.S. CITIES THROUGH MARCH 2021

• In 2020
• Homicides rose 30% compared to 2019
• Aggravated assaults and gun assaults
rose 6% and 8% respectively
• In Q1 2021
• Homicides rose 24% compared to Q1
2020; 49% compared to Q1 2019
• Aggravated assaults and gun assaults
7% and 22% higher than Q1 2020
• Property and drug crimes – other than
vehicle theft – fell significantly in 2020 and
Q1 2020
WEEKLY RATES OF HOMICIDE
WEEKLY RATES OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
WEEKLY RATES OF GUN ASSAULT
PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN HOMICIDES
CRIME IN U.S. CITIES – CONTINUED

• Recent trends in violent crime likely driven by multiple factors: the

pandemic, social unrest caused by police violence, increased sales of
firearms, and other factors
• To reduce violence, policymakers should choose strategies informed by the
best evidence and data available, while also consulting with impacted
communities
• A wide body of evidence shows the most successful strategies have three
qualities in common: focus, balance, and fairness