Homicide rates in large cities were up more than 30 percent on average last year and up another 24 percent at the beginning of this year, according to criminologists. NY Times, June 1, 2021

In some places, there was less violent crime this Memorial Day weekend than in 2020. In Chicago, there were 27 shootings, 32 people struck, and four deaths, according to the Chicago Police Department, compared with 94 shootings, 114 people hit and 33 killed over the holiday weekend in 2020.

The drop was attributed to a number of factors, including the deployment of more police officers on troubled blocks, the presence of more community activists, and some bad weather. (Emphasis by writer)

Some police officials said the outlook for addressing violent crime appeared bleak, especially with no bipartisan effort to reduce crime or gun violence materializing. “I am very sad to say that this summer is going to be a long summer for the American people,” Art Acevedo, the Miami police chief, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

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Interesting that homicides in Chicago on Memorial Day weekend were down over last year because of defunding the police? No, because of “the deployment of more police officers on troubled blocks,” among other factors.

Goodness, gracious. What a profound phenomenon.

According to the Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2021, One year after the movement to “defund” law enforcement began to upend municipal budgets, many American cities are restoring money to their police departments or proposing to spend more.