According to a report published in an English newspaper, this is the first time in history that the city of Big Ben has overtaken its American counterpart in bloodshed.
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There is at least one area in which London leads New York; however that is not something the Londoners could be proud of.
British daily Sunday Times reports that in February, 15 people were murdered in London, while 14 were murdered in New York.
Both the cities share an iconic status on the world stage and consist of diverse populations. As a result, while New York has just over 8.5 million residents, London is just ahead with its 8.7 million residents.
In addition to February, March also perched London above New York in terms of murder rate; with 22 murders in London versus 21 killings in New York.
Over the years, the crime rate has massively declined in the American city. For instance, while 2250 people were murdered in the year 1990, the number dropped by a massive 90% in 2017.
As for London, while its killing rate has fluctuated over the decades, it has seen a 38% rise in its killing rate since 2014.
The Sunday Times report further noted that since the year 1800, London’s murder rate per person fluctuated between half and a 20th of the same in New York.
That said, not all is doom and gloom for the Londoners, with the report further noting that overall in 2018, the English City has witnessed few killings – 45 versus 55 – to that of New York.
When asked to comment on the matter, the Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick partially blamed websites and mobile phone apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube for the killings, as per the Evening Standard.
London City Hall, meanwhile, insists that despite the recent increase in bloodshed, the English capital still remains one of the safest cities in the world.
The increase in murder rate is a huge challenge for London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is already grappling to make sure that the exit from the European Union doesn’t translate into a loss of jobs for the residents of the City.
