Overall violent crime across the US has jumped this year compared to 2021, even as the number of murders has dropped, a new study revealed Monday.
Major crimes such as robberies and aggravated assaults rose in the first six months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, with 236,962 incidents reported versus 226,967, according to a report by the Major Cities Chiefs Association based on a survey of 70 major police agencies.
“While MCCA member agencies continue to develop new and innovative strategies to address rising violent crime, there is a distinct need to have a robust conversation regarding the driving factors and systematic failures that have contributed to the current state of affairs,” the association said in a press release.
Meanwhile, homicides were slightly down, with 4,624 reported for the same time frame this year compared to 4,511 in the first six months of 2021, the study found.
The biggest leaps in violent crime in the 70 agencies — which include the NYPD — were in robberies, which rose to 60,175 in the first six months of this year compared to 53,212 in 2021, and in aggravated assaults, with 156,735 reports versus 152,760.
Among the other police agencies included in the survey were cops in Nassau County on Long Island, as well as the Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, New Orleans and Philadelphia police departments.
A separate review of nine law-enforcement agencies in Canada found that homicide, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault had all risen over the past year.
With Post Wires