BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo crime numbers in January 2020 compared to crime numbers in January of 2019, jumped 32.7%, according to data from the Buffalo Police Department.
One person knows about the uptick in crime, all too well.
“I knew exactly what he was looking for. Went for the place where he had seen Ronnie take the money and when there was no money, he tried to break down the bedroom door. And of course were calling 911,” said Mike Fox.
Fox and his wife Ronnie were victims of two home invasions already this year.
According to the police, there were 173 burglaries in January of this year in Buffalo. In January of 2019, there were 110.
Fox thinks there are two main reasons for more crime in the city, fewer people owning homes and more people using drugs in his neighborhood. He and his wife were victims of a string of home invasionsin the Black Rock neighborhood.
Fox says he's incredibly thankful the work of the D District police and detectives working his case.
It's unclear what is the cause for the spike in crime. Police would not say if there is a direct connection to the new bail reform law or even if it's because of a warmer winter. A representative from the Buffalo Police Department did say, "many things come into play" when there is such a change in crime numbers from year to year.
