PHOENIX — Phoenix Police Department says violent crime has risen dramatically in the first half of the year.
According to a statistics comparison published by the department Wednesday, officials looked at crime rates between January and June 2020, and the same time frame in 2019.
The data showed some promising results — with rapes, burglaries, and thefts dropping — but alarming news that homicides and aggravated assaults increased.
“Putting a definitive stamp on the cause of crime rising or falling is impossible to do, but it's clear the Covid-19 lockdown has changed the dynamics," said Sgt. Mercedes Fortune in a report on the department’s website. “Fewer people on the streets and more people at home seems to have impacted these numbers."
Here’s a simple breakdown of the findings:
- 24 homicides tied to domestic violence in the first half of 2020, up 140% from 10 in the first half of 2019
- Assaults are up 25 percent, with guns used in 42% of the cases
- Burglary rates will be down 18% over last year if downward trend continues. Numbers have been declining since 2011
Read the full report here.
