JSPES, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Winter 2008)
pp. 458-471

Demographics of the Upward-Trending Murder Rate in Buffalo, New York: A Harbinger of Societal Stress

Vance McLaughlin and Wade C. Mackey

Jacksonville State University

A century of murder rates is surveyed from Buffalo, New York, within the context of several demographic variables. Over the course of the twentieth century, Buffalo’s murder rates have trended upward. It is argued that the dynamics of the twentieth century in Buffalo may be repeated across various cities in the twenty-first century via analogous demographics. Accordingly, increasing rates of violent crime in general, and most specifically of murder, would be under pressure to remain at the relatively high levels.