The number of homicides and gun assaults in major U.S. cities ticked downward in the first half of 2022, according to new data.
A midyear report released Thursday by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) found a drop in murder rates by 2 percent and gun assaults by 6 percent. Drug-related offenses also dropped by 7 percent.
But despite the slight dip in murder rates, the CCJ reports, the U.S. is still seeing 39 percent higher rates in 2022 than it did in the first half of 2019.
Murder rates jumped 30 percent between 2019 and 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, marking the largest single-year increase on U.S. record.
Data shows that violent crime has been on the rise throughout the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. The 2 percent decrease this year equates to 54 fewer homicides in the 23 states studied, according to the CCJ.
The researchers noted the 6 percent decrease in gun assaults “should be viewed with caution,” as the number was based on data collected from just 12 cities.
Robberies, on the other hand, rose 19 percent after dropping during the pandemic. Residential burglaries jumped up 6 percent, and larcenies increased by 20 percent.
“We hope that the report fosters serious, honest national conversation about why different crimes are trending in different directions and what more can be done to drive them all down,” CCJPresident and CEO Adam Gelb told The Hill in an email.
This story was updated at 5:13 p.m.