Title: US: Homicide rates up 30% in 2020 amid pandemic | TurkishPress
Headings: US: Homicide rates up 30% in 2020 amid pandemic
US: Homicide rates up 30% in 2020 amid pandemic
ANKARA
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Content: COVID-19 and Crime” report, released on January 31. The study was conducted by noted criminologist and Professor Emeritus Richard Rosenfeld and Ernesto Lopez of the University of Missouri – St. Louis and CCJ Senior Fellow and Commission Director Thomas Abt. “The fabric of American society has been tested in unprecedented ways in the past year – by the pandemic, the struggle against racial injustice, and economic decline,” Rosenfeld said in a press release. “ The combination of these stressors and a lack of effective outreach to at-risk individuals likely contributed to the elevated homicide rates we’ve seen in 2020.” For his part, Abt said: “ The response to rising rates of homicide must not wait. A large body of rigorous evidence demonstrates that violent crime can be addressed using strategies that are available now and do not require big budgets or new legislation to be implemented. Even with the pandemic, the time to act is now.” Although the magnitude of this increase is “deeply troubling”, the report said the absolute rates of homicide remain “well below” historical highs. “In 2020, the homicide rate was 11.4 deaths per 100,000 residents in sample cities;