Crime Trends in the Time of Covid

As a trusted alarm and monitoring company along the North Shore of Massachusetts, we make it our mission to stay on top of the current statistics in regards to violent and nonviolent crimes both in our area and across the nation. That monitoring helps keep us ahead of the curve in terms of knowing what may become crime trends in our region. 

In terms of crime during this global pandemic, there’s both good and bad news according to the FBI reporting data. Sadly, the United States experienced its largest-ever recorded annual increase in murders even as other crimes such as: rape, robbery, and other property crimes fell. 

Let’s take a few moments to take a closer look at these numbers and how our region of the country fits into these crime trends. 

What Can We Learn from Crime in 2020 

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, most Americans became less mobile and worked from home in order to keep themselves and their family safe from the highly contagious disease. 

Murder Rates Are Climbing 

According to the FBI statistics, murder rates soared by 30% and continue to do so into 2021. 

Analysis by experts and reports in the Guardian, “Murder increased in every geographic region, and in small towns and suburban areas as well as large cities. At least 77% of the murders were committed with firearms, according to the new government estimates.”

Lack of Mobility Changes Crime

This change in mobility had a direct impact on crime in general. FBI reporting data disclosed that crime fell 23% in the first month of COVID lockdown and has since remained lower than usual. 

An analysis of crime rates in 25 of the country’s largest cities show that the population’s lack of mobility caused a substantial drop in all types of crime as compared to data from the five years previously. 

Shifting Crime Stats

When separating out the types of crimes there seems to be some variation as to the level of drop, and in some cases a rise in incidences. For instance, home burglaries dropped while commercial burglaries and car thefts rose. The pandemic is most likely a root cause of those numbers as well considering most families were hunkered down for a year or more in their homes, the chance of home burglary naturally decreased. 

It is critical to note that many cities, towns, and regions are now fully open with professionals heading back to the office. Installing a home security system at this point may be a smart idea as home burglaries are most assuredly going to return to previous figures as mobility rises.

Another interesting observation is that drug crimes fell the most of all the crime stats. Drug crimes dropped 65%. Sadly, many police departments shifted their focus on other issues and stopped low-level arrests during the pandemic, thus  potentially skewing the numbers. 

What You Need to Know 

Analysis of the crime rates during the first year of covid teaches us some valuable lessons. General population behavior can make a major impact in the types of crimes committed. When Americans stay home, crime shifts to the commercial and professional sector. 

Additionally, access to weapons combined with the stress and fear of covid are possibly contributing factors to the drastic rise in murder rates. 

Closer to home, Massachusetts is currently ranked as #7 for the lowest crime rates, but again those numbers vary according to whether the crime is violent or nonviolent. For more information on these rankings and where the Bay State fits into the larger picture please visit U.S. News Reports on Public Safety Rankings. 

Is your business or residence properly protected with an alarm and 24/7 monitoring station? Safeguard your family, home and business with our commercial and residential alarms.