Headline Diplomat eJournal – Issue 1, Series 2
The perilous lenses of COVID-19: The sociopolitical impact
Writes Emmanuel Ifeanyi Ekwoma, Content Writer, Headline Diplomat eJournal, LUDCI.eu
Crime may seem to be on the decline as a result of the Coronavirus (officially called COVID-19) crisis. Naturally, it is expected that there be a decline in crime during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the stay-at-home policy adopted by countries across the world.
Overall, crime is down 5.3 percent in 25 large American cities relative to the same period in 2019, with violent crime down by 2 percent. Crimes, such as murder, rape, and armed robbery have seen a steep decline – this has mainly to do with the stay-at-home orders. Karachi, one of Asia’s most crime-ridden cities, saw an entire week in March go by without any car theft. In Italy, one of the worst-hit countries in Europe, there was also a 66% decline in the crime rate in the same period. This decrease is also seen across other cities globally. According to David Abrams, Professor of Law and Business Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, “Across almost all of the cities examined, crime fell at a tremendous amount — a decrease of over 23% below the average of the same period in the previous 5 years.”
However, studies and information from various organisations show that specific crimes, such as domestic violence, counterfeiting, fraud, cybercrime, hate crime, shoplifting, and looting, are actually on the rise. A further examination of these worrying trends is only appropriate.
The COVID-19 pandemic has truly shaped crime and has an impact on global society. With the future of the global economy hanging in the balance, and business being fatally hit by severe economic blows, this reality has trickled down to individuals, causing many law-abiding citizens and criminals alike to face a very bleak financial and economic condition. On top of that, people have been asked to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus. Consequently, this has taken a toll on the mental, emotional, and psychological well-being of millions of people across the world. Together with criminals lurking in different parts of the world, it is no wonder why there has been a spike in crime during the present COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University, Scott Decker, speaking with the BBC, violence has shifted to ‘inside homes.’ Since the lockdown policy took the global stage, there has been a disturbing spike in domestic violence. The European Institute for Gender Equity says although women and men experience gender-based violence, the majority of victims are women and girls.
While governments and millions of people are looking to procure test kits, masks, and medications for COVID-19 prevention and treatment, criminals have taken advantage of the situation. There have been cases of counterfeit surgical masks seized by INTERPOL. In some places, people were hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) to sell at exorbitant prices, and even in the US, some people were arrested for impersonating as doctors.
Cybercriminals are not left out — cybercrime has been on the rise. Phishing, especially Business Email Compromise (BEC), has increased as more people worked from home and more companies’ data are being accessed from homes, giving criminals the opportunity to exploit any weak links. There have been disturbing reports cybercriminals trying to hijack the funds for those medical tools by posing as the suppliers, while some tried to divert the government’s relief package to the citizens.
Hate crimes against Asians have also increased since the outbreak of this global pandemic. Many people, mainly whites, feel threatened and afraid of Asians because Covid-19 started in Wuhan, China, so they are more likely to take out their fragility on Asians. In the UK, according to Susan Williams, the Home Land Office minister for countering terrorism, in a May 2020 report to MPs, told the house there has been a 21% surge in hate crimes against people from Asian communities. Similar cases of hate crimes against people of Asian descent have been reported in Europe and Africa.
Speaking about hate crimes, police brutality against the African community and other people of color is not a new thing per se, but the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis generated a lot of anger, triggering protests across the major cities in the US and the rest of the world. Discussing the situation, Maimuna Majumder, a Harvard epidemiologist working on the COVID-19 response, told Vox that one in every 1,000 black men and boys can expect to be killed by police in this country, which makes it a public health problem.
Talking of violent crimes, shootings in many places like NYC, Baltimore, and Chicago have spiked, for instance. In fact, in NYC alone, shootings have seen a disturbing increase over the past few months, with there being far more victims overall. According to the latest Memphis Shelby Crime Commission report, violent crimes are up nearly 30 percent in Memphis and 26 percent countywide. And while crimes of opportunity, such as home invasions are down, the robbery of vacant stores, petty theft, and shoplifting have also increased. This has increased in areas like Pennsylvania. Due to so many people losing their jobs, it is easy to see why shoplifting and store robbery would be increasing. In LA, retail store theft has skyrocketed. Vehicle theft is also on the rise – a situation that can be attributed to poverty.
Subtle crimes by governments under COVID-19
In China, early April, the local authority in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, which has China’s largest African communities, began a campaign to forcibly test Africans, ordered them to self-isolate or quarantine in designated hotels. Landlords then evicted African residents, forcing many to sleep in the streets and shops. Restaurants and public facilities also refused entry to Africans. Other foreign groups have generally not been subjected to similar treatment. This discrimination sparked outrage among African communities around the world. The Centre for Disease Control, however, has highlighted that discrimination is one of the factors that expose people further to the likelihood of being infected coronavirus.
Under the cover of COVID-19, governments across the world have carried out an atrocious level of human rights abuses. In the UK, 19 people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest, which also took place across other cities in Europe. Also, in Malaysia, over 4,000 people were forcibly arrested for violating lockdown order, one of the toughest lockdown law enforcement in Southeast Asia.
The situation is even worse in the Philippines, where the United Nations has specifically raised alarm on the disturbing human rights during the enforcement of lockdown orders. It is reported that the Philippines COVID-19 response has been ‘highly militarised’. Similarly, the Human Rights Watch (H.R.W.) has condemned the use of the lockdown orders to crackdown on opposition in Azerbaijan.
In Uganda, police forced women to undress for breaking the curfew. Many governments are also following a similar pattern to fight opposition in countries using coronavirus orders. Only recently, a high court in South Africa ruled that the lockdown order is ‘irrational and unconstitutional’.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on world poverty has been overwhelming. The global job losses have risen sharply as the coronavirus crisis continues. The fragile economy in Africa facing recession. In America, the unemployment crisis as a result of the pandemic. The US has seen over 40 million Americans filing for unemployment — a number the US has not seen since the great depression. The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research states that the pandemic could drive as many as 580 million people in the world into poverty. In the UK, the coronavirus pandemic is set to plunge Britain’s economy into the deepest recession in 300 years.
But what can really be done? Governments and non-governmental organisations have to open more ways to provide help to people who suffer domestic violence, as can go a long way in saving lives. Also, there should be a global campaign against racism and other hate crimes.
With the rise in phishing and BEC, individuals, businesses, and institutions need to be more careful when transacting business online. Security agencies like the FBI should be swift in investigating and prosecuting cybercriminals. Generally, solving the coronavirus-induced global economic problem would go a long way in curtailing some of these crimes, as many of them, such as shoplifting, looting, and even the shootings in cities like Chicago and Baltimore, are a result of poverty. So, governments need to help those who may be suffering from long term unemployment and homelessness during this time.
Providing financial help when and where possible might also help to curb petty theft, such as food shoplifting. As many food banks are struggling to keep up with demand, it is important to find other ways to provide food to those who need it.
Conclusion:
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted a lot of things in our society, including crimes. Generally, crimes, such as murder, rape, and armed robbery, seem to be on a decline, but cybercrime, domestic violence, hate crimes, and food-related crimes have been on the increase. Governments should ensure that their relief packages get to the poor masses that need them and also make policies that will help businesses to recover faster and boost employment.
Featured photo by Skitterphoto
