New data cites 2 reasons why crime in US increased drastically
KTRK
Replay Video
UP NEXT
New research out Monday from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice suggests the pandemic and protests after the death of George Floyd both played a role in 2020's historic increase in murder across the country.
In Houston, murder was up more than 40% in 2020 and continues to climb. The city recorded its 33rd murder on Sunday. It is enough for an 18% increase over 2020. Murder is up 95% when compared to 2019, before this most recent crime wave started to rise.
In the new report, researchers looking at the increase across the country found two reasons to explain the uptick, and COVID-19 is just one. Researchers from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice saw an uptick in murder last year before the pandemic began - but not out of line with other crime waves in the past. The report did not study Houston's specific data, but the trends in our city match those nationwide reported by researchers.