Homicides, shooting up in big cities across the country
In Phoenix, homicides and aggravated assaults have significantly increased from January to June compared to the first half of 2019, while rape, burglary and theft cases have decreased, according to a statement released by officials Wednesday afternoon.
One of the most jarring findings from the data is that the number of deaths involving domestic violence have more than doubled so far this year.
Data released by the Phoenix Police Department on Wednesday shows that domestic violence makes up a quarter of the increased homicides.
Since more people had to work or attend school from home and stay-at-home orders went into effect March 31, that means more domestic violence victims have had to stay with their abusers during the COVID-19 pandemic.