The number of homicides that occurred annually nearly doubled between 2011 and the year 2019 Alaska.
This is based on the report by the state of the most current data that shows the state’s annual rate of murder has increased significantly and steadily in the past decade.
The homicide rate in Alaska is more that the average for all of America in accordance with the study. The national average is already very high and greater than seven times more than all other countries with high incomes in 2015.
The state produces these reports so that epidemiologists along with other government agencies are able to determine how the rate of homicides in Alaska over time.
“What we noticed when we examined the timeline was that we see the midpoint, and this rise,” said Deborah Hull-Jilly an epidemiologist from the state who has been monitoring injury statistics over the past two decades. “So what’s the different? What’s going on that’s changing the way homicides are handled, and causing more homicide victims over the past 5 years?”
532 Alaskans were killed between 2011 and 2020 — the majority of them by firearms. The number of firearm-related murders increased significantly across the majority of regions in Alaska throughout the study.
Alaska Native individuals were killed 4 times that of white Alaskans. The most frequent victims were males. victim, taking up nearly two-thirds of the deaths in Alaska. For female victims, more than 40 percent were victims of intimate relationships such as former or current spouses.
About half of the state’s murders were committed in Anchorage where is home to nearly 40 percent of the state’s population.
But Hull-Jilly claims there was a different metric that was a mirror of the increase in homicide rates in the past five years. Nearly half of the victims of homicides had positive tests for alcohol or other drugs, specifically methamphetamine and marijuana.
“We need to pay attention and be aware of … relationship between suspects and victims in particular in relation to substance consumption,” she said, noting that when victims are taking methamphetamines they are likely to be with other userswho could become more aggressive while under the influence of the drug.
“This murder report is only the start of useful data. We are working with law enforcement partners to see if we can find more information that can assist with the prevention of such incidents,” she said.
Homicides account for more than 20% of all violent deaths, which has been blown away by suicides which make up around 70% of violent deaths. The rest, as Hull-Jilly explained are the result of people being killed by the police, and deaths committed with “undetermined intention.” These homicides analyzed as part of the analysis are for closed cases.
The initial year of the pandemic was a different year from those of other studies. While murders jumped throughout the country but they dropped by more than one third in Alaska.
