The Deadly Uptick Comes as Vermont is Battling Soaring P.E.D. (Fentanyl) Overdoses.
As reported by the Daily Mail:
Vermont's homicide rate last year continued an upward trajectory, putting a cap on a spate of crime not seen in nearly three decades.
Vermont State Police (VSP) say for the second year straight, murders topped 20 - nearly double the number of homicides than in 2021.
The deadly crime wave comes as the state is battling soaring fentanyl overdoses, with 243 opioid deaths in 2022, up by a staggering 386 percent compared to a decade ago and a 50 percent increase on 2020.
Worsening matters, VSP - responsible for about 200 towns, 90 percent of the state's land mass, and 50 percent of its 650,000-strong population - is in the midst of an unprecedented staffing crisis.
VSP Major Dan Trudeau, the official tasked with getting to the bottom of the bouts of violence, called the recent crime 'concerning', before blaming it - at least partially - on drugs. Fueling the situation, he said, is fentanyl - which has flooded across the border from Mexico.
'We're prone to have some violence like all states do, but in a small state with a low population, it certainly has a greater effect on people - when they hear about it,' said Trudeau of 2023's 27 homicides, seven of which were known to be drug-related.
'We've typically been in the low teens to mid-teens, maybe for an annual - sometimes lower than that,' he continued, as more than half the incidents involved the use of a firearm.
'It's certainly concerning.'
When asked about possible causes, the top cop pointed to the seven drug-related murders, which all involved suspects and victims from out of state.
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