Did Portland Become America’s Murder Capital?
When the local murder rate spiked, I consoled myself that it’s rising in most U.S. cities; we’re just along for the ride. Then I saw that Portland homicides are up 327%, while the national average is 12%. How did we become America’s murder capital? —Say Hello to My Little Friend
Well, Friend, the good news is that the figure you’re citing is misleading (though technically correct). The bad news is that Portland homicides really are surging, and the main thing that’s misleading about this statistic is that it implies things were fine in early 2020.