Homicides, rapes down in major cities amid overall increase in violent crime

The number of homicides and rapes in major U.S. cities dipped slightly in the first half of 2022, but violent crime rose overall, new data shows.

A new midyear comparison survey from the Major Cities Chiefs Association found that violent crime went up 4.4 percent between 2021 and 2022 among the group’s 70 responding U.S. police agencies.

Robbery and aggravated assault accounted for the bulk of the increase, rising by about 13 percent and nearly 3 percent, respectively.

Homicide and rape both fell slightly, dropping about 2 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

The dip in murder rates, contrasted with the rise in crimes like robbery and gun assaults, was also noted earlier this year in a report by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ).

Murder rates rose 30 percent between 2019 and 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the largest single-year increase on U.S. record.

Data shows that violent crime in general has been on the rise throughout the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, and the topic has been cited often as a main issue for voters.

The Biden White House has long resisted critiques that it’s soft on crime, and the president earlier this year signed a bipartisan landmark gun safety bill in the wake of mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y.

Also spurred on by recent mass shootings, the House Oversight and Reform Committee, led by Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), began investigating gun violence and the firearm industry.