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Record-High 56% in U.S. Perceive Local Crime Has Increased
BY MEGAN BRENANOCTOBER 28, 2022
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- 56% say there is more crime where they live, up five points
- 78% think there is more crime in the U.S.
- Worry about being victim of six crimes up significantly from 2021
Public perceptions of an increase in crime at the national level have also edged up since last year, as 78% say there is now more crime in the U.S. This is tied with the 2020 measure. The record high was 89% in 1992, when crime rates soared in the U.S.
Americans have consistently been more likely to say crime is worsening in the U.S. than in their local area since Gallup began simultaneously tracking Americans' impressions of both crime levels. The latest findings, from an Oct. 3-20 poll, are well above the 44% average for local crime and 67% average for national crime since 1989.
This year's record-high perception of a rise in local crime builds upon last year's sharp increase on the measure. In addition to the 56% who say there is more local crime this year, 28% think there is less and 14% think the level has stayed the same.
On the national front, beyond the 78% of Americans who currently think there is more crime in the U.S., 13% say there is less and 7% think there is about the same amount.
The low points for both trends were recorded in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. resulted in a rally effect among Americans and the large loss of life at the hands of terrorists overshadowed perceptions of local and national crime.
In Great Numbers, Republicans Think Crime Is Up Locally, Nationally
As is the case with many perceptions of national conditions, partisanship plays a significant role in shaping Americans' assessments of crime. Since 2000, supporters of the president's party have typically been less likely than those who identify with the opposition party to say that crime has increased. Before that, during both George H.W. Bush's and Bill Clinton's presidencies, partisans held similar perceptions of the crime problem.Last October, with Joe Biden in the White House and after the FBI released its 2020 crime statistics showing a sharp increase in murders in the U.S., the percentage of Republicans who said there was more local crime increased from 38% to 67%. Independents' perception that local crime was worse also edged up, while Democrats' view was essentially unchanged.
Currently, 73% of Republicans say crime in their area has risen, while 51% of independents and 42% of Democrats say the same.
Record-High 56% in U.S. Perceive Local Crime Has Increased
A record-high 56% of U.S. adults say there is more local crime than last year, while 78% -- tied for the highest since 1993 -- perceive more national crime.
news.gallup.com
