By Francis Ogwo
So many countries of the world are currently on lockdown and restrictions as a measure of containment of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
This season has kept people off the streets as well as crime and criminals. It has also made many sleep with both eyes closed. This seems to be the testimony of Miami, Florida as the Miami Police Division revealed that they have currently recorded a seven weeks stretch without homicides since 1957.
According to a spokesperson of the Police while speaking with CBS News, he said, “We can say that it’s due to our police high visibility, attributed to the pandemic and the stay at home order.”
The Mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez just like others had on March 12 declared a local state of emergency in a bid to slowing down the spread of coronavirus. The order has been extended six times lasting for a week.
According to the Miami police, other crimes have also decreased. The department said the decrease has extended to domestic violence calls. But Miami Police Chief, Jorge Colina told the New York Times he is concerned that incidents of domestic violence and child abuse may be underreported during the order.
A street normally busy with traffic is nearly empty as large numbers of people stay home in an effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic on March 24, 2020 in Miami, Florida.
This development seems to have made history due to the incessant cases of crime in the state. For example, one Devon Arthurs killed two of his roommates after quiting his neo-Nazi religion and embracing Islam. Another roommate, Brandon Russell, was arrested on charges of stashing bombs and radioactive materials.
The bubbly city has always been on the news for the wrong reasons especially crime related news. Observers say the crime scenes withnessed daily in Miami could make blockbusters of real life crime movies when recorded for Netflix series.
Another case was that of a Colombian top anti-corruption official who was caught taking bribe at Dolphin Mall.
Two men were seen casually wandering through Dolphin Mall, they passed the teenage shoppers and kiosks hawking watches, and headed for a quiet bathroom. One man held an envelope with $10,000 in cash in it. The other waited for a handoff in a stall. Not knowing there were federal agents who watched all of the drama.
One of the key players in the bribery scene was Luis Gustavo Moreno Rivera, Colombia’s chief anti-corruption official. Moreno was later jailed in Bogota and charged with spearheading his own brazen corruption campaign that was in tune of about $200,000 in bribes between him and a former Colombian politician in Miami.
Another crime story on drugs was given of a group of of stoners allegedly throwing a “medical marijuana” party with 50 pounds of weed not far from a police station. Infact, just six blocks away.
There has been a war in America on curbing the menace of drug abuse. Reports say there is a broken criminal justice system and an alarming rate of weed sales in Miami popularly called the Sunshine State.
Infact on this occasion, a group of Miamians tried to host a high profile stoner session and got busted by a crack team just about six blocks away from Miami Police headquarters.
These and more accounts of crime had become daily experience of Miami residents before the lockdown order which many may wish it continues so as to bring sanity to the city riddled with crime.
Reports also revealed that crime rate in Baltimore has reduced since Maryland ordered residents to sit at home.
Crimes such as car hyjacking, robbery, shootings and more had become daily experience but reduced drastically since the stay-at-home order was given.
Available sources revealed that as compared to same time last year, common assaults in Baltimore went down 34%, while aggravated assaults reduces by 17%, and shootings crashed by 8%.
It is also a season of excitement for residents of Los Angeles as it was reported that violent crime and property crimes have dropped as compared to last year, CBS Los Angeles revealed. This is with a 9.73% drop in violent crime overall, homicides in particular were down by 21%.
The story is however different for Chicago as the stay-at-home order didn’t have much effect in the city. Cases of robbery and shootings had risen up with Chicago Police responding to 19 shootings recently, with six of them homicide related. That indicates that shootings rose by 42% from the same week last year, according to data analyzed by the station.
In Los Angeles too, there has been a reduction in violent crime but with an increase in domestic violence calls.
Reports say Los Angeles County Sheriff, Alex Villanueva said deputies responded to about 8% more of domestic violence calls between mid-March and mid-April, as compared to last year.
What is however a source of worry to Alex while working closely with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is that many have attacked their victims more since they were made to stay at home together as compared to when they were far from each other. It therefore became a situation of their victims at their beck and call. So it means abuse and violence with killings likely following while the isolation and lockdown lasts.
