Crime Sprees and Heat Waves

There is nothing like a heat wave (or the Superbowl) to make you want to kill someone. And I’m not just saying that. I saw it with my own eyes. When it gets too hot out, or when people get too into their sports, someone’s gonna’ die....


I remember being called out to a crime scene during a Subway Series because one guys shot another guy right in the middle of the street. Mets Versus Yankees to the extreme. Maybe most people don’t get this. I mean, you can love sports but killing someone over them is a bit extreme. But I’ll tell you something that anyone can understand: Spend a little time in a housing project in the Bronx in 100 degree weather and you’ll want to kill someone too. Trust me.

And I’m not the only one who noticed. In 2009, the New York Times did an article on heat and murder. They analyzed various trend in homicides in New York City over about a thirty year span: Who is most likely to die and what is the weapon of choice? What they found to be the most consistent trend, even with the decline in murders, is that July through September is prime killin’ time. Steven Messner, a professor of criminology, speculated that the increased murder rate in the summer months results from increased human interaction when it’s warm. But I disagree. I think the heat just makes ya’ nuts. It makes you angry. It makes your temper shorter. It makes your blood boil. Literally and figuratively.

The New York Times isn’t the only paper to notice this trend either.

Some weather guy over in Philly noticed the same thing. His findings were summarized as follows (with some caveats at the end that you can read yourself):

In the years 2006 and 2007, on the 25 days when more than 4 murders were recorded in a 24 hour period, he found that (a) Warmer than normal weather tends to be when tempers boil over, and (b) The hottest month of the year is the worst for the murder rate.

According to this article yesterday, the heat actually can make you crazy. According to clinical psychologist John McFadden, “heat interferes with decision-making, impairs concentration and attention and increases irritability.” He says that there “are even some studies that suggest that it increases tendencies toward aggression, domestic violence, even murder." But any cop or criminal attorney in the Bronx could have told you that.

So, when the temperature goes up, the tempers flare. So, this summer, when it gets too hot, don’t forget to keep your cool. 

So tell us, what makes you homicidal?