Has Crime gone up during the COVID pandemic and quarantine?

22 May Has Crime gone up during the COVID pandemic and quarantine?

Have you been concerned about the safety of your home, family, or business during the Quarantine?

Shortages of several necessities like toilet paper, eggs, milk, and meat, not to mention guns and ammunition, can one to ponder if all things are scarce. Many of us have more concern for protection and safety at this time.

Increases in vandalism and theft are surely expected with more empty vacation homes, closed businesses, students no longer in school – for an undetermined period of time. Police departments have cut back on misdemeanor arrests, and government leaders have released may criminals due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Oddly enough, many of those released convicts are violating the laws again.  

You may also have heard of strange occurrences like these women dressed as nurses who were caught stealing packages by an ADT camera. Not only has package theft gone up but so have speeding and opioid addiction.

While there is a rise in violent crimes on persons and property, other criminals, dressed as medical professionals, UPS drivers, and others, have been caught stealing packages by home and business ADT cameras. Rising opioid addiction has fueled more thefts during this time.  Some very sad and disturbing crimes are definitely causing increased public awareness and drawing attention to events, like the double homicide from a burglary in Utah and the burglary attempt on Sebastian Maniscalco’s home (the cousin of the famous comedian).

“I don’t think that anybody who is out there gang-banging or shooting or robbing feels one way or another about the coronavirus. In fact, they may see this as an opportune time to commit crime,” said Dorothy Speight.

Commercial Burglaries

Some of the worst crimes include commercial burglary, especially now.  For example, Philadelphia has seen a 56% increase in commercial burglaries in April 2020 over March 2020 and 22% increase year-to-date. Retail theft in Philadelphia is also up 40% year-to-date. Burglaries in Boulder, Colorado rose 189% in March 2020 compared to March 2019. New York City’s commercial burglaries have seen the crime has gone up with an increase of 169%.

Violent Crimes

Homicides in Philadelphia have had a 19% increase from the same period last year. They have not seen numbers that high since 2007. Chicago has also had an uptick in murders, up 10% from the previous year. Shootings are on the rise in Louisville, KY even though there are stay at home orders in place. Portland had also reported an increase in shootings with statistics showing a 25% increase. NYC also saw a slight increase in murders in 2020 vs 2019 YTD.

Not all cities are seeing large increases though. Los Angeles appears to have a drop in gun-related incidents and reports of domestic violence. It is hard to know if some of these statistics are just because people have not been reporting them. It will be interesting to see if some of the reports still show a decline once the quarantine is over since some might be afraid to report abuse. Though NYC is seeing a large increase in burglaries and homicides, their robberies, assaults, and larcenies are seeing a decline during the covid quarantine.

Homes, Vehicles, and Open Garages

Not only are businesses being hit but so are homes. Vehicle theft is another crime where rates have gotten very high. There are people who have been stealing from open garages and unlocked homes even while the homeowners are still there! There were people home for 65% of the burglaries in Boulder. Seattle has seen an 87% hike in burglaries in the month of March vs Feb of this year.

It is too difficult to say if crime overall has increased or decreased during this time since some cities see a drop and others are seeing a spike. But it seems apparent that commercial burglaries, homicides, and home invasions have all gone up. There are some parts of the country reporting decreases, but it seems that the increases in those areas outweigh the decreases.

The good news is that studies have shown that homes or businesses that have security systems are much less likely to have burglaries. Nearly all convicted burglars were found to avoid homes that have security systems in them. The odds of a break-in with a home security system present are between 3-20 times less likely. We are here to help and have lots of inexpensive options that can keep your family, home, and business safe during uncertain times and the future.

If you have any questions just give us a call and get a free quote with no pressure or hassle today! You can reach us at 1-800-871-2119.