Most people think crime in US is ‘major’ problem
The article reports on a recent Associated Press-NORC poll revealing that about two-thirds of Americans view crime as a major problem in the United States, especially in large cities where over 80% see it as a important issue. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to consider crime a serious concern in urban areas. However, fewer people view crime as a major problem in their own communities or rural areas.
The poll comes amid President Donald Trump’s announcement of a federal takeover of the Washington, D.C. police to address rising crime,a move that has led to a noticeable drop in homicides and carjackings,according to the city’s mayor,Muriel Bowser,despite some reservations about the involvement of National Guard troops from Republican states.
While more than half of those surveyed support military and National Guard assistance for local police, only about a third approve of federal takeovers of police departments in large cities.Opinions are sharply divided along party lines, with Republicans more supportive of federal intervention and Democrats largely opposed. Trump’s handling of crime has majority approval driven mainly by Republicans and a sizable portion of independents.
Trump has expressed plans to extend similar crime crackdowns to other major cities like Chicago, New York, and possibly Baltimore. The poll was conducted with 1,182 respondents in late August, with a margin of error of ±3.8 percentage points.
Most people think crime in US is ‘major’ problem
About two-thirds of people think crime is a “major” problem in the United States, according to a poll, after President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of Washington, D.C., this month.
A new Associated Press-NORC poll found that 66% of respondents categorized crime as a major problem nationwide, while 32% said it was a minor problem. In large cities, the percentage gap between the two answers grew. Just over 80% of people classified crime as a major problem in cities, compared to 18% who said it’s a minor problem.
Republicans are more likely to believe crime is a significant problem in large cities, with 96% answering as much. Meanwhile, 68% of Democrats think so.
When respondents were asked to think more locally, crime wasn’t as big an issue. Less than 25% said crime was a major problem in their community, and 20% said the same in their small towns or rural areas.
The poll’s findings come as Trump uses the National Guard and federal agents to crack down on crime in the district and beautify it. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser credited Trump on Wednesday with a major decrease in homicides and carjackings since the local police force was federalized, although she did signal her discontent with the National Guard members deployed from Republican states.
More than half of people, according to the poll published Wednesday, also favor the use of the military and National Guard to assist local police. However, that support goes down when respondents are asked if the federal government’s takeover of police departments in large cities is acceptable.
Only 32% overall said it’s acceptable compared to 55% who said otherwise. Partisan voters were unsurprisingly divided on the issue, with 51% of Republicans backing federal intervention and 78% of Democrats opposing the idea.
Meanwhile, Trump’s handling of crime garnered majority support. Overall, 53% approved of his job performance on the issue, with 88% of Republicans and 16% of Democrats contributing to the approval rating. About 46% of independents also approve.
TRUMP PITCHES ‘COMPREHENSIVE’ CRIME BILL WHILE CONGRESS READIES DC MEASURES
Trump has vowed to bring the crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., to other blue cities. Chicago and New York are expected to be the next targets in the near future. Baltimore may also eventually see similar treatment after the president got into an online spat with Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), who argued that the state and city have seen notable decreases in violent crime this year despite Baltimore’s ranking as the fourth most dangerous U.S. city in a U.S. News & World Report survey.
The Associated Press-NORC conducted its poll from Aug. 21 to 25 with 1,182 respondents, and the overall margin of error was plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
