BOSTON (AP) - The number of homicides in Boston ticked up slightly this year.
The Boston Globe reports (https://bit.ly/2iiT3ec ) that there have been 46 homicides in Boston in 2016, six more than 2015.
Homicides reached a 15-year low in 2015.
The paper reports that though the number of homicides is lower than in many other major cities, police say much of the violence is related to gangs and drugs and that has not changed from year to year.
Community leaders say poverty and a lack of opportunities are among the root causes.
The police department is using millions in federal and state grants to try to reduce and analyze youth, gang and gun violence in Boston neighborhoods.
Police say that crime overall is down in Boston this year, including nonfatal shootings.
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Information from: The Boston Globe, https://www.bostonglobe.com
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