Murder rates rise 10% in liberal-run cities due to defund-police, soft-on-crime policies: Study

Murder rates in liberal-run cities across the United States have risen 10% since 2021 due to defund-the-police movements and soft-on-crime policies supported by left-wing mayors.

According to a recent study released by WalletHub, homicide rates in the 45 most populated American cities increased 10% between 2021 and 2023 and are continuing on an upward trajectory.

The researchers ranked the cities by comparing murder rates from the first three months of 2023 to the same periods in 2021 and 2022.

The study found that the top 10 U.S. cities battling the most significant murder rate problems include Memphis, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Detroit, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Kansas City, Missouri.

Of the top 10 cities with the biggest homicide rates, all are led by Democratic mayors, with the exception of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who left the Democratic Party in 2009 and registered as an independent.

The study reported that murder rates are rising faster in cities run by Democratic mayors versus Republican mayors.

Chidike Okeem, an assistant professor at Western New England University, stated that the rise in homicides could likely be attributed to social movements, such as riots associated with the death of George Floyd.

“As a response to the social unrest, some officers have embraced ‘de-policing,’ which is the idea of not engaging in proactive policing practices in order to avoid increased scrutiny and censure. Without pronounced police presence, violence proliferates,” Okeem said.

The defund the police movement and no-cash bail policies promoted by left-leaning politicians and leaders are also contributing factors, according to Gregg Etter, a professor at the University of Central Missouri.

“If you have a problem with police use of force in isolated instances, rather than deal the problem or the problem officers, defund the police. This results in a less-effective police force, increased response times, lower police morale, and an increasing unwillingness by the police to engage in proactive policing,” Etter said.

College of William and Mary School of Law professor Robert Spitzer contended that the increasing homicide rates highlight how “police and policing are indispensable for society,” the Daily Mail reported.

“Though police have suffered some reputational damage and loss of personnel, an increase in crime inevitably leads to people turning to the police for protection, and that helps their reputation,” Spitzer explained.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!