Five major U.S. cities are on track to surpass their homicide totals from 2021, implying that the crime wave that began in 2020 will worsen.
According to the data, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Milwaukee, and Atlanta have all seen increases in murder rates just halfway through the year. Milwaukee is seeing the largest spike at 96 homicides as of June 17, compared to 77 at the same point a year earlier, a 24.7 percent increase.
The figures continue a trend since 2020, when homicides in the United States increased nearly 30 percent over the previous year.
That trend continued last year, with the Council on Criminal Justice reporting that homicides in the county increased by 5% in 2021 compared to 2020.
The figures continue a terrifying trend that began in 2020, when homicides in the United States increased by nearly 30 percent over the previous year. Last year, the Council on Criminal Justice reported that homicides in the county increased by 5% in 2021 when compared to 2020.
D.C. has 93 homicides as of June 17 compared to 82 at this point last year, a 13.4 percent increase. Atlanta saw 68 murders compared to 60 over the same period. Rates in Baltimore are up 7.7 percent and Los Angeles up 7.3 percent.
According to the report, experts believe that because crime spikes during the summer, there is little hope of slowing the rising trend.
I've seen at least one intelligence report that suggests a peak time for riots would be during mid- August corresponding with the full moon phase. The same intelligence sees a heightened state for additional riots and disruption right before the midterm elections in November.
Self-Defense When Crime and Disturbances Erupt
Accept. Realize and accept that crime and violence can overtake you without any culpability on your part. In other words you can be completely doing everything right and avoiding trouble but trouble decides to find you. You won't be prepared to defend yourself if you are in a state of denial. Accept that bad things can happen even when you are doing nothing wrong. Accept the responsibility for your safety. Accept that the police are probably not in the position to save you. Accept that you will have to act.
Avoid. This should be obvious. Stay away from crowds. Stay informed through the local news and your social media feeds.
Observe.Scan your environment to look for people who are out of place or acting unnaturally. Being a good observer is also connected to the 'accept' advice in point #1. You can miss a lot of information if you are living in a state of denial. There is more information here on the sorts of pre-indicators of violence you should be looking for in the L.A. riots post.
Evade. Leave at the first sign of trouble or go out of your way to avoid the reported disturbances. Don't let your habits of convenience or denial put you a bad situation.
Escape. But what if you are trying to evade and you still get trapped or surrounded by violence? You have to respond definitively and escape!
Deter. Is anyone watching you? Do you look like a soft target? Or do you look like a squared-away, alert, prepared person? Do you look strong and fit?
Deny. Keep a barrier between you and potential bad guys all the time. Lock. Your. Doors.
Delay. Try to get more barriers and more distance between you and the trouble. The more you can delay an attacker, the more time you have to consider your options to escape or defend.
Defend. Geoff Thompson said the ugliest truth you will face about violence is that it can only be stopped with the use of greater violence. Such is the serious and sometimes deadly business of self-defense. By it's very definition, it requires the use of force to stop, deflect, or deter the use of force by an aggressor. You must we willing and able to use the amount of force necessary to protect yourself and others from the imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death.
Get trained. Get ready.