With the unprecedented mental health and financial burdens of 2020, it's not surprising that crime is climbing in New York City. As of Sunday, New York City has seen the number of shooting victims double from the same time period in 2020, according to NYPD statistics. The number of murders has also increased by more than 30%.
"A lot of the time, in areas with high crime, there is a lack of resources already, and lack of jobs or employment, and mental health issues," said Gamal Willis, manager of Court Advocacy for Avenues for Justice in New York. "Compound that with the pandemic, where people can't access mental healthcare ... What has happened is our young people can not get those resources, so they're self-medicating, whether that be with alcohol, whether that be with drugs. And so this enhances some of what you're seeing as far as crime."
When things are more or less normal, some three million people take public transit each day to get to and from work. But things aren't even close to normal. So ridership's down as opportunities for employment continue to dry up. And with nothing to do and no place to go, crime's the outcome.
