Homicides rose in most big American cities in 2016, continuing a worrisome trend for police and criminologists that began last year, even as murder rates in most cities are nowhere near the levels of two decades ago.

Sixteen of the 20 largest police departments reported a year-over-year rise in homicides as of mid-December, a Wall Street Journal survey found. Some notched minor increases, while Chicago has experienced one of the most dramatic jumps, with more than 720 murders--up 56% from 2015.

Chicago's homicide count, greater than the considerably larger cities of Los Angeles and New York combined, marks a grim tally not seen since the violent drug wars of the 1990s. As the bodies in Chicago pile up--including that of Nykea Aldridge, cousin of basketball star Dwyane Wade, shot while walking with her baby in broad daylight--police are struggling to solve the killings, clearing only one in five homicides so far this year.

We need to remember that this comes on top of the at least equally shocking murder surge in 2015.

One more thing:  Since this has been happening from coast to coast for at least 24 months, reactions designed to pretend that it doesn't mean a whole lot should be seen for what they are  --  a shove toward complacency by those pushing a political agenda to continue their "We've-been-too-tough-on-criminals" campaign.

Here's the graph:

ENLARGE