What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

Philadelphia experienced a surge in shootings and homicides during the COVID-19 years that disproportionately affected young Black and Latino men in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods with drug markets.

In 2020, Philadelphia had 499 homicides—nearly 150 more than the previous year. Gun violence worsened in 2021—with 562 homicides that year—and then dropped slightly in 2022.

Fortunately, recent data shows a notable decline in these crimes over the past two years. As of late September 2024, homicides are down 40% for the year to date compared with 2023. And the number of shooting victims has decreased similarly—from 1,236 in the first eight months of 2023 to 758 for the same period in 2024.

As professors of criminal justice who live in Greater Philadelphia, we know that there is no single explanation for the drop in gun violence. Rather, many factors at both the local and national levels could be playing a role.

Police and justice system return to (sort of) normalcy

• Read More