As people’s routine activities changed due to pandemic - covid 19, the types and targets of crime also changed, the rate have fallen in recent weeks, with most of the country under “stay at Home”orders.

Cities across countries have seen changes in offense patterns as well as in the number of total crimes reported, with most places showing a significant decrease in overall crime.

Among the crime trends observed during this pandemic are changes in the types of crimes and sites of crimes. Notably, violent crime has dropped, and burglaries have shifted away from home breaks-into target closed businesses.  These changes make sense in a world where more people are staying home during work hours.

For violent crimes like assault or robbery to 

occur, people have to come into close contact. 

Why would someone try to steal from an occupied house when there’s an empty shop downtown? Similarly, car thefts have gone up in a few cities, which is unsurprising when many drivers have little reason to move the car from where it’s been parked for the past month.

Some cities have reported an  increase in calls related to domestic violence. With schools closed, children are more vulnerable to abuse and neglect at home.

With commerce moved largely online, we may see more internet-based “white collar” crime, such as the new crop of  scams. 

Changes    in    policing    results fewer arrest rates   and lower crime.   Police 

officers have  gotten sick, and officials have directed police to avoid unnecessary contact with the public and even to respond to some offenses differently, such as issuing citations in lieu of arrest.  Most of these changes will result in fewer reported crimes, as there are fewer police officers available to patrol the streets, fewer face-to-face traffic  and street stops, and fewer arrests overall. So some of the “decrease” in crime is due to changes in policing rather than changes in criminal behavior. 

We should always be skeptical of short-term changes in crime data. People are avoiding in-person contact for fear of contracting or spreading the coronavirus – even avoiding hospitals when they need them – People may be less likely to report crimes.  Victims of rape and sexual assault (crimes that are always underreported) may be even less likely to go to the police and undergo forensic

medical exams. And given the heightened risk of infection in prisons and jails, victims of intimate partner violence or other domestic abuse may be even more reluctant to seek police intervention.  

Local crime trends may vary a lot and appear dramatic,  with sweeping statements,  obscure important differences in crime data across cities, states, and regions.   Just as the impact of the coronavirus looks very different when we look at national versus local infection rates, crime trends become more pronounced, and less consistent, when we look at local data. Part of this is because local conditions affect local crime patterns: in neighborhoods where people go to drink, for example, we might expect to see more assaults at night. And in places under stricter “stay at home” orders continues, we are likely to see more dramatic changes -  increase -  in crime.