Urban murder rates are rising
Urban murder rates, which had been falling for years, are beginning to climb in many cities. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, experts blame a number of problems Ñ rising unemployment, a burgeoning young adult population, overtaxed city resources and a weak economy Ñ for the rise.
Cities that have experienced significant increases in the numbers of murders since 1998 include Boston; Cincinnati; St. Louis; Las Vegas; Oakland, Calif.; New Orleans; and Pittsburgh. Additionally, seven of the 10 largest U.S. cities likely will finish the year with more homicides than they had last year.
New York is anticipating a lower homicide rate than it had last year, as are Baltimore and Detroit.
The trend for 2001 counters figures recently released by the FBI that show slight decreases in the numbers of serious crimes in 2000. Last year was the ninth consecutive year of fewer reported crimes and represented a 22 percent decrease in crime since 1991.
Still, the decreases for 2000 were so slight as to be insignificant, according to some observers. “Crime levels are flat,” says James Fox, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University in Boston. “The great 1990s drop is over.” FBI figures show a 1.8 percent decrease in crime in suburban counties and an 0.1 percent drop in cities.