NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Crime is falling rapidly in many U.S. cities for the second year in a row, a decline attributed in part to the end of the pandemic's empty streets and shuttered stores, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing association data.
"Law enforcement officials also credit a renewed focus on gun crimes -- analyzing evidence faster, hitting suspects with federal charges where possible, and quickening the pace of arrests to prevent tit-for-tat violence," noted the report.
The vast majority of violent crimes are investigated and prosecuted by local law enforcement agencies. The federal government, in turn, has tried to boost those efforts by providing more help, in the form of agents, prosecutors, and technology that can more quickly trace spent bullet casings back to the people who pull the triggers, it added.
Last year saw a sharp drop in killings and shootings, according to the report. The first half of 2024 showed that trend generally continuing, with homicides down 17 percent compared with the same period last year, according to figures for 69 U.S. cities compiled by the Major City Chiefs Association.
In the nation's capital, homicides fell about 25 percent in the first half of this year -- to 91, compared with 119 in the first six months of 2023, the figures showed. Baltimore saw an even steeper decline, from 142 killings to 90, and in Detroit, homicides fell from 123 to 103.
"Our work is paying off," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a written statement. "The Justice Department has been bringing every single resource we have to bear in the fight against violent crime."
