Murders, other crimes are in decline across the world due to coronavirus lockdowns

(Image credit: MARVIN RECINOS/AFP via Getty Images)

last updated 12 April 2020

Much has been made about the effect the novel COVID-19 coronavirus has had on air quality, but it turns out there's also been a downturn in crime.

The New York Times reports there's been a striking decline in murders around the world, particularly in Latin American countries, which have some of the highest homicide rates globally. With fewer people on the street, it's been easier for police to suss out criminal activity. And, per the Times, some criminal gangs have actually led the charge in imposing curfews in areas where they hold sway as part of an effort to curb the virus' spread.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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