By alang.consultant New York (Knewz) — Homicides continued to increase in major U.S. cities, but at a slower rate than in 2020, according to a new analysis by a crime think-tank. Sampling data from 22 cities showed the number of murders increased by 5 percent in 2021, according to the Council on Criminal Justice Violent Crime Working Group. That percentage translates to about 218 additional murders in the 22 cities. That’s up 44 percent from the 2019 figures, representing an additional 1,300 lives, according to the council. While the 5 percent is an increase, it’s less than the 29 percent incr…