By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
While there remains plenty of time in 2023 for homicide statistics in some major cities to climb to 2022 levels, it appears the numbers will be down in Chicago, New York City and possibly Baltimore.
On the other hand, WUSA recently reported 248 slayings in the nation’s capital city, which the station noted, is “a number we haven hit since 2003.” In a city where it remains extremely tough for an average citizen to legally purchase a firearm, criminals do not appear so encumbered. According to the WUSA report, “Crime in D.C. has gotten so bad, businesses are permanently closing their doors and leaving the city, just to escape.”
The Baltimore Sun keeps a count, and the latest figure available is 239 slayings. Last year’s total was 333, according to WMAR News. Maryland also has strict gun control laws, although a recent court victory there suggests restrictions on law-abiding citizens may ease.
Up in the Big Apple, “five of the seven serious crime categories tracked by the NYPD declined, with reported murders, rapes and burglaries each down 10%,” according to the Spectrum. The story quoted Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, who stated, “These trends are proof positive that our smart, strategic investments and strong local, state and federal partnerships are making a difference in neighborhoods and communities across the state.”
In Chicago, according to the popular website Heyjackass.com, so far this month there have been 48 homicides, of which 46 involved firearms. This year, the Windy City has racked up 591 slayings, including 533 committed with guns, and with five weeks remaining, the number is likely to climb. Last year, Chicago’s body count was 738, including 666 who died from gunshot wounds, a 16 percent decline from 2021 data, the website noted.
Meanwhile, murder in Detroit also appears to be on the decline, but Mayor Mike Duggan was quoted back in September by the Detroit Free Press, making an observation which signaled some caution on his part.
“We need to show it will happen year after year,” the mayor acknowledged.
According to the Free Press, a “special enforcement effort” was launched earlier this year in two Detroit precincts, and it apparently paid off with lower violent crime statistics. The newspaper said violent crime declined 19 percent in the city’s 8th Precinct and about 11 percent in the 9th Precinct between June 1 and Aug. 31. Overall, homicides were on the decline by about 9 percent when the report was published in September.
Portland, Oregon is another city where the number of murders is down from last year’s record pace. The Rose City ended 2022 with a staggering 96 slayings, and so far this year, according to the website Portland Homicide. There have been 67 killings so far this year.
About 170 miles north of Portland is Seattle, where the number of murders is poised to set a new record. According to Seattle Homicide (not connected to the Seattle Police Department), there have been 69 murders, matching the record set in 1994.
All of the cities mentioned are run by Democrat administrations.
