Homicides rise in Atlanta, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Omaha, Raleigh: report

A report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association has revealed that while there was an overall six percent decline in violent crime among 69 American cities during the first half of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023, some major cities have seen an increase in homicides.

In Atlanta, 63 homicides have been reported between January 1 and June 30, 2024, compared to 60 in the same time frame in 2023. In Charlotte, North Carolina, 61 homicides have been reported, compared to 45 in 2023. Minneapolis saw 31 homicides, up from 29, Omaha saw 10, up from 8, and Raleigh saw 16, up from 9.

In addition, reports of rape are up in major cities like Albuquerque, Cleveland, Houston, Nashville, and Pittsburg. Notably, New York City is not included in the report.

In an Axios analysis of the document, the outlet insisted it was a “potent defense” for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris against accusations that the Biden-Harris administration has lost control of the law and order agenda.

“The drop in violent crime puts a serious dent in one of the most frequently used lines of attack by former President Trump and his allies, who have sought to tie Democrats to the issue since 2020,” Axios stated. “It also gives Vice President Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor in San Francisco and California attorney general, a potent defense against attacks from the right on crime.”

But according to the Pew Research Center, violent crime is of greater concern in 2024 than it was in 2021 when President Joe Biden assumed office. “Around six-in-ten US adults (58 percent) hold that view today, up from 47 percent at the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency in 2021.”

Violent crime statistics may also be down because fewer Americans are reporting it to police. Pew “found that in 2022, only 41.5 percent of violent crimes and 31.8 percent of household property crimes were reported to authorities.”

Illegal immigrants continue to commit crimes across America. A 38-year-old illegal was recently charged with predatory sexual assault, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador was charged with a fatal carjacking. A proclamation supported by Harris could ensure that illegal immigrants continue to cross the southern border undeterred.