In the past two years, the United States has seen the biggest spike in violent crime since the late 1990s.

Last year’s independence weekend alone saw 1065 incidences of gun violence across the nation, with 314 of them being fatal. Those numbers dropped by 26% this year, but the country still saw 851 shootings over July the 4th weekend in 2021 — 233 of which were fatal.

Overall, homicides in the US skyrocketed from 2019 to 2020, and the unfortunate trend managed to roll over into this year as well.

With a pandemic ravaging the country and civil unrest sparking mass protests, this spike in violent crime certainly makes sense on paper.

But what does that mean for you? 

With dispatch centers across the nation experiencing staffing shortages, is 911 the best way to get help in an emergency? How can you help prevent crime before it happens? And most importantly, how can you protect yourself and your loved ones? 

2021’s Shocking Track Record 

Reporting on the rise in violent crime, CNN states:

“A study of homicides during the first six months of this year in 22 cities showed that the number of murders increased by 16% compared to the same period in 2020 and by 42% compared to the first six months of 2019.”

The nation’s largest cities have been impacted the most, with their impoverished neighborhoods getting hit the hardest. 

But smaller cities aren’t immune to the crime wave either. Recent reporting from Reuters shows that Rochester, New York is on track to hit seventy homicides by the end of the year.

With a population below 500,000, that would put them at a higher per capita rate than Chicago, one of the nation’s most violent cities.

Additionally, according to a Council on Criminal Justice report, the aggravated assault rate was 7% higher in the first quarter of 2021 than the same time last year. Data from eighteen cities across the United States showed that 1,260 more aggravated assaults occurred at the beginning of this year. 

At the rate it’s going, 2021 could become the most violent year since the turn of the millennium.

911 Dispatch Centers Are Already Struggling

Earlier in the year, we covered how dispatch centers across the country are short-staffed and having trouble keeping up with waves of covid-related calls.

Some areas like Los Angeles county are experiencing up to 30% more calls than usual, with wait times averaging twenty-five seconds or more.

In Marion County, Indianapolis, one extreme case left a woman waiting for over three minutes before connecting with a dispatcher. She was forced to stay on hold and hope for the best after her father lost consciousness due to cardiovascular issues.

Thankfully, he turned out alright. But in situations like these, delays can be fatal.

Now, as the nation goes through another spike in covid cases, the rapid increase in violent crime certainly won’t do the already overloaded 911 system any favors.

But only time will tell.

Delay-Proof Emergency Response in the Palm of Your Hand

Crime rates and covid cases may be up, but there’s no reason you should have to sacrifice response time in a dire situation.

When lives are on the line, there’s no time to spare, and the last thing you want is to sit in a call queue. So, how can you ensure you never have to worry about waiting times in an emergency?

The answer is the Rescu app.

Rescu is like having first responders on speed dial, except there aren’t any phone calls involved. 

When you register your account, you can add up to four of your personal addresses, any pre-existing conditions or medications the authorities may need to know about, and your list of emergency contacts.

Once you’ve added your information, you can send for help with just two taps on your smartphone — one tap to select fire, police, or medical, and another to send the alert.

Rescu’s private monitoring center will dispatch emergency responders to your pre-selected address right away, and you won’t have to spend a single second talking on the phone.

Since our emergency response system operates completely separate from the 911 service, you can spend less time worrying about delays and more time focusing on what matters most: you and your loved ones’ safety.

What’s more, the Rescu Prime subscription (coming soon!) is GPS compatible, allowing you to travel anywhere in the United States with full coverage.

Start your subscription today for as low as $7 a month, and when Rescu Prime launches soon, you can turn your phone into a GPS medical alert for just $10 a month!