Study: NOLa. experienced America’s worst homicide spike during pandemic
26th July 2021 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
New Orleans had the highest increase in homicides per capita during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.
The Wallethub study (https://wallet-hub.com/edu/cities-homicide-rate/94070) examined 50 of the United States’ most populous cities. It ranked New Orleans as having the most homicides per capita (of the study group) during the second quarter of 2021 and the highest increase in homicides per capita, from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021.
The study noted that homicide rates have risen by an average of 33 percent in the study’s 50 highlighted American cities between the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2021.
When it comes to reasons why, experts quoted in the study said there is no easy answer.
“Crime does not go up or down for one single reason,” said Matthew Hale, MPA Program Chair for the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Seton Hall University. “In many places, unemployment and under-employment may be causing more people to consider and commit illegal activity. In some places, more general uncertainty and fear caused by the pandemic is leading toward criminal activity. In some places, redeploying police resources toward social unrest is leading to less police in high crime areas.”
Shaundra Kellam Lewis, professor of law at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law, said there are three likely factors contributing to the rise in homicide rates: stress and anxiety from the COVID-19 pandemic; economic strain stemming from the pandemic; and racial tensions arising from the killing of unarmed Black people by the police and the resurgence of the white supremacy movement.
Kellam Lewis also noted that homicide rates went up even when most people were confined by stay-at-home orders.
“This increase could be attributed to the rise in domestic violence,” Kellam Lewis said. “Because people were confined to their homes, domestic violence victims were forced to shelter in place with their abusers and had nowhere to run. Also, being confined to one’s home coupled with the emotional and financial stress from the pandemic also probably exacerbated some people’s mental illness, which might have led to more violence.”
Kellam Lewis also pointed to increased firearm sales and ownership. She said an FBI report said two million guns were sold in March 2020 alone.
“If nearly everyone can carry a firearm legally, then the police cannot use the sight of a firearm as a reason to believe someone is about to engage in criminal activity, which hampers the police’s ability to prevent crime,” Kellam Lewis said.
Diane Birnholz, former federal prosecutor and law lecturer at the University of California – Los Angeles, said the absence of valuable mental health outlets might also have contributed to the rise in murders.
“Community outlets, such as schools, parks, and religious institutions, were unavailable during these times of extreme stress. With all the lockdowns, people were trapped at home, feeling depressed and isolated. These types of feelings and frustrations can boil over and turn into violent criminal activity.”
When asked what can be done to bring homicide rates down again, Birnholz said she hopes an increased sense of normality in the second half of 2021 will help.
“Hopefully, as more and more people get vaccinated, we will see a sustained rebound in the economy and a return of face-to-face contact, community outlets, and interventions that help prevent violent crime in the first place,” Birnholz said.
Christopher Salvatore, chairperson of the Department of Justice Studies at Montclair State University, also hoped a return to normalcy would lower homicide rates, but also acknowledged that this is unfamiliar territory for everyone.
“The effects of the pandemic are a fairly new area of study,” Salvatore said.
New Orleans Police Department Spokesperson Gary Scheets provided The Louisiana Weekly with the following statement: “We cannot speak to the accuracy of this survey because we have not validated the methodology used to prepare it…Like many cities around the country, we have seen a spike in violent crime. We believe the family and financial stress caused by the pandemic have played a role in this. Our solve rate for homicides is nearly 58 percent. We continue to seek the assistance of our community, who are an invaluable partner in the effort to reduce violent crime.”
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell’s office failed to return The Louisiana Weekly’s requests for comment as of press time.
This article originally published in the July 26, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
