L.A. Police Chief Michel Moore recently revealed that the city is on track to surpass 300 homicides this year, a number which hasn't been surpassed in over a decade. As of Saturday, the city has reported 266 homicides. For comparison, there were 260 homicides in 2018, and 253 in 2019. The last time L.A. surpassed 300 homicides was in 2009, when there were 312 killings.

While police reported a lower number of crimes earlier this year, which was attributed to people being in quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic, homicides spiked this summer. The Los Angles Police Department‘s South Bureau reported that homicides are up by 50% from last year in the area. Chief Moore weighed in on the reasons he thinks are attributed to the increase in crimes, including more people carrying around guns amid the pandemic, which has led to an increase in weapons seizures in the South Bureau. He also pointed to efforts to provide services and interventions to victims of shootings being slowed or stopped amid the pandemic, leading some victims to possibly seek retaliation.

Source: L.A. Times