A new report released by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) shows that violent crime rates in American cities have largely returned to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 mid-year crime trend report, made public on Thursday, highlights a significant decrease in most types of violent crimes.
The CCJ analyzed crime data from 39 cities that have consistently reported their statistics over the past several years. The report covers 12 different crime types, with 11 showing a decline in rates compared to the first half of 2023. The only exception is shoplifting, which has seen a 24% increase this year.
Adam Gelb, President and CEO of the CCJ, attributes the previous spike and recent decline in violent crime to the disruptions caused by the pandemic. “The world got turned on its ear, upside down, shaken in so many ways. And 2020 and ’21, so much was disrupted, there was so much stress − economic and emotional,” Gelb told USA TODAY. “That has subsided.”
The report’s findings suggest that the pandemic had a profound impact on crime patterns, influencing the motives, means, and opportunities for criminal activities. As the world adjusts to a post-pandemic reality, crime rates in these cities appear to be stabilizing.
