What are the possible causes for the increase in crime?

[We Never Know]

I expect that part of the reason is that drug dealers arent making the kind of money they were before the pandemic. Given how many people are out of work there just isn't the cash flow that they're used to be and recreational drug use is at a low.

So, the criminal element has had to turn to other means to make thier money: carjacking, burglary, armed robbery.

I would also expect thst competition between dealers for whatever drug market is left has probably heated up quite a bit too.

I would think of the drug users, not the dealers.

 

[74x12]

Let's just say I find it difficult to parse whom you are talking about in the post I quoted.

Well according to the FBI there are roughly 33,000 street gangs, motorcycle gangs and prison gangs active in the USA. So "gang types" could include a wide range of people involved with or at least affiliated with various gangs.

 

[Quagmire]

I would think of the drug users, not the dealers.

Not sure what you mean.

I couldn't find any statistics, but I would guess that recreational drug users account for a much bigger slice of the market in the US than addicts do, and recreational users aren't apt to commit crimes to finance their drug use. I would think they'd be much more likely to just cut back on their use, probably dramatically so considering that most of the clubs and bars have been closed and parties have been much less frequent during the lockdowns.

On the other hand I wouldn't expect the rate of criminal activity among hardcore drug users and addicts to have gone up, since people in those categories dont usually have a legitimate source of income anyway.