The state of New York has declared a state of emergency following a recent surge in violent crime in many parts of the US. Time magazine pointed out that 2020 was one of the worst years for gun violence on record in the US, and "2021 will be even worse". American scholars point out that tensions between minority communities and the police, lax gun control, and lack of reform of the police and judicial system, among other factors, have contributed to the increasing problem of gun violence in the United States.