The Rise of Black Lives Matter Coincides with Some of the Worst Violent Crime Recorded in Nearly 3 Decades

Black Lives Matter is perhaps the most preeminent subject of public discourse on race relations in the United States. Its policy agenda on law enforcement and police reform has also received support from progressive activists and lawmakers.

As Black Lives Matter’s political power has grown, however, their success in mainstreaming once radical ideas like police abolition has left law enforcement demoralized and often without adequate resources. Furthermore, the rise of Black Lives Matter and their ideas is correlated with an explosion in violent crime — particularly murder — nationwide.

In Minneapolis, where the death of George Floyd in May sparked a wave of protests and riots across the country, more than 100 people have been shot since Floyd’s death, according to the Southwest Journal.

Major cities across the country like Atlanta, New York City and Los Angeles have also seen similar spikes in gun violence, homicides and other violent crimes.

Data released by the F.B.I.’s Uniform Crime Report on 25 major American cities found that murder rates went up 16.1% compared to last year, The New York Times reported. In 20 of the cities included in the data, year-to-date murder rates were higher this year compared to 2019.

Furthermore, violent crime — including murder, aggravated assault, rape and robbery — went up in 14 of the cities included in the Uniform Crime Report data. Property crimes — including theft, auto theft and burglary — went up in 7 of the sampled cities, according to The New York Times.

{snip}

As major American cities witness some of the worst violent crime in roughly 3 decades, law enforcement officials face mounting challenges. Their operations have been strained by the coronavirus and calls to reduce budgets or even abolish police departments altogether.

The Minneapolis City Council unanimously voted to “dismantle” the city’s police department in June, and the Oakland School Board in California followed suit by abolishing its school police department.

{snip}