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Shootings on the rise in London in spite of repeated lockdowns

Gun crime is on the rise in London despite the restrictions in movement imposed by three full lockdowns

Shootings are on the rise in London despite repeated coronavirus-related lockdowns, thus baffling crime experts and statisticians alike.

According to Scotland Yard figures, there were 288 shooting incidents in 2020, compared to 266 firearms-related crimes the year before.

The British capital has experienced three full lockdowns in the past 10 months and it was generally believed keeping people off the streets creates at least one side benefit, namely a sharp decline in crime rates.

Indeed, overall crime has fallen by 26 percent in London, partly because of the restrictions in movement brought about by lockdowns.

However, the lockdown may have led to a rise in domestic crimes, as evidenced by a rise in domestic killings from 16 in 2019 to 22 in 2020.

The Metropolitan Police is reported to be looking into a possible connection between domestic murders and the psychological and emotional turmoil brought about by repeated lockdowns.  

Commander David McLaren of the Met Police’s Specialist Crime and Operations unit appeared to acknowledge a connection when he said: “It is fair to say that mental health has played a part in a number of those crimes [domestic murders] this year and it isn’t a massive leap of faith to say that lockdown has an impact on all of us in terms of our wellbeing”.

However, the Met Police has yet to comment on the possible causes of a rise in shootings in 2020 even as the number of homicides overall (by firearms and other methods) fell by 16 percent to 126.


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