Polar Vortex drives down murder rate

The Polar Vortex may have caused a lot of headaches for residents in the US over the past month but it has proven beneficial for one thing – driving the murder rate down.

Official figures show that Chicago recorded 20 homicides in January 2014, just half the number of murders compared to the same month in 2013.

Chicago Police spokesman Adam Collins told the Chicago Sun-Times that the cold weather may be behind the figures.

"The superintendent has said that weather is a factor, but it's not the only factor," Mr Collins said.

"It neither causes nor prevents crime".

There were 11 days of sub zero temperatures in January, making it one of the coldest months in recent history.

Source: The Chicago Sun-Times

Author: Natasha Lee, Approving editor: Chloe Ross