(NewsNation) — With just days left in 2023, the U.S. homicide rate is set to drop by record numbers this year. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix and New Orleans have all seen significant decreases in homicide rates, according to NewsNation’s tracking of city crime data.
The homicide rate in 2023 is down 22% in New York City, 15% in Los Angeles, 12% in Chicago, 14% in Phoenix and 26% in New Orleans.
“Homicides are down, but it still feels like there’s a climate of crime. This is why people probably think that it’s not good,” former New York detective Michael Alcazar said during an interview on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
Regarding the decline in homicides, Alcazar said New York City’s numbers stand out most.
“I attribute that to our detectives just doing a good job. They’ve got the right supervision. They have the experience, and that’s helping curb the homicides. They’re getting good tips from the citizens who want crime to go down, so it’s a partnership with the community,” Alcazar said.
While some cities saw a drop in homicides, others noticed rising year-to-year homicide rates. According to NewsNation’s tracking of city crime data, the homicide rate in Washington, D.C., is up 36% this year, 85% in Providence, 51% in Shreveport, 14% in Dallas and 20% in Seattle.
Alcazar said mass retirements or law enforcement officers moving areas may be part of the problem.
“Police officers are migrating to other cities and probably leaving these busier municipalities where the crime is spiking. It could be poor leadership too from local government,” Alcazar said. “I think I attribute that most to the loss of our police officers and lack of recruitment to replenish the police department.”
A recent Gallup poll revealed Americans’ fear for their personal safety is at a 30-year high. Sixty-three percent of the poll’s respondents say the crime problem in the U.S. is extremely or very serious.
Alcazar thinks while some U.S. cities see homicide rates dropping, swarms of retail and street crime give the perception there’s “an atmosphere of lawlessness throughout the country.”
“People now have social media right in their hand. They can see the news, any posts on Instagram that show crime, and it depicts robberies, assaults on the street, street crime. So, it just makes individuals looking at it more fearful,” Alcazar said.
He continued: “Perception sometimes becomes reality even though the numbers don’t show that.”
A NewsNation and Decision Desk HQ poll of registered voters from July found crime was the second largest issue Americans are worried about, behind only inflation.
