Where did homicide rates spike during COVID? New Orleans takes top spot, report says

Homicide rates spiked in 50 of the largest U.S cities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Crescent City was no exception.

New Orleans saw the highest increase in homicides per capita between Q2 of 2019 and Q2 of 2021, scoring 95.1 out of a possible 100 points representing the highest homicide rates in the nation, according to a report by personal finance website WalletHub.

In the second quarter of 2021 (April-June) alone, the city ranked 1st for homicide cases per capita, data show. The homicide rate held steady between Q2 2020 and Q2 2021, but saw the biggest increase compared to Q2 2019.

Here’s how the U.S. cities ranked:

1. New Orleans, Louisiana
2. Cincinnati, Ohio
3. Baltimore, Maryland
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Detroit, Michigan
6. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
7. Louisville, Kentucky
8. Atlanta, Georgia
9. Memphis, Tennessee
10. Kansas City, Missouri

WalletHub calculated “the number of homicides per capita in Q2 2021, and the change in the number of homicides per capita in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the second quarter of 2020 and 2019” to come up with the rankings, according to the report. Its sample included 50 of the nation’s most populous cities with published homicide data.

The report, released Wednesday, shows New Orleans places among the top 10 U.S. cities grappling with what state and local officials are calling a “COVID crime wave.” The city “saw a homicide spike of more than 60%” in 2020, reporting 146 killings compared to the 121 reported the year before, The Advocate reported, citing FBI crime statistics.

The issue isn’t unique to The Big Easy, however. Several major cities across the U.S. saw a more than 30% hike in homicides last year, according to CNN, citing a report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell provided an update on the city’s crime prevention efforts last month.

“We believe there are three key issues in working holistically to address the recent spike in crime: prevention, apprehension and intervention,” Cantrell said in a statement. “This includes investing in youth, families, and community leaders to reduce the number of violent incidents; arresting those who commit violent crimes; and providing support and development programs for both youth and adults to reduce recidivism and make our communities stronger.”

This story was originally published July 14, 2021 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Where did homicide rates spike during COVID? New Orleans takes top spot, report says."

Tanasia Kenney

Sun Herald

Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.