Louisville police chief says crime is rising amid pandemic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The chief of police in Kentucky’s largest city says violent crime is increasing even as citizens remain under orders to stay home in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad told the city’s Public Safety Committee on Wednesday that data shows shootings are up more than 80% along with a 60% increase in homicides compared to the same time last year. Conrad said crime was already increasing before virus cases began to spread, but shutdowns of businesses, schools and gathering spaces likely added to the trend. The chief said the conditions have created “an environment that is ripe for violence.”