GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- According to a recent Gallup Poll, conducted
Oct. 14-17, a majority of Americans believe that crime has
increased on a national scale over the past year. However, they are
divided as to whether crime has increased in their area. Still,
both measures represent a more negative perception than what was
found last year. The poll was conducted as the news media were
covering a series of sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C. area,
which could affect the public's perceptions about the crime rate.
Still, Americans are no more worried about being a victim than they
were last year, and they report taking precautions at about the
same rate as they did last year.
The poll shows that a clear majority of Americans, 62%, believe
that there is more crime in the United States this year than there
was a year ago, while just 21% say there is less crime, and 11% say
there is about the same amount.
| Is There More or Less Crime in the United
States Today Than Last Year? |
 |
These results represent a major difference from last year, when
-- even in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks -- the
public was about evenly divided in their perceptions of the
national crime trend, with 41% saying there was more crime than the
previous year, and 43% saying less.
When asked about crime in their own areas, however, Americans
are about evenly divided today as to whether there has been an
increase over the past year (37%) or a decline (34%).
| Is There More or Less Crime in Your Area
Today Than Last Year? |
 |
The results of this question also suggest a major change from
last year, when 52% of Americans thought there was less crime in
their area than the year before, and just 26% said more.
Perhaps reflective of their more negative perceptions this year,
Americans are also slightly more likely to say that there is some
area near where they live where they would be afraid to walk alone
at night. This year, 35% said there was such an area, compared with
30% who said that last year.
| Is There an Area Near Where You Live Where
You are Afraid to Walk Alone at Night? |
 |
Still, the current number is about the same as that found in
2000 (34%), and lower than the percentages measured from 1972
through 1997.
Confidence in the ability of the police to protect citizens from
violent crime has also declined slightly. This year, 58% say they
have a "great deal" (19%) or "quite a lot" (39%) of confidence in
the police, down from 66% who said that last year, including 25%
who said a "great deal."
Confidence in Police to Protect You
From Violent Crime |
 |
The greatest level of confidence expressed by Americans in the
past decade came in 1999, when 70% of Americans said they had a
great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the police. The lowest
level was in 1993, when just 45% expressed a high level of
confidence, perhaps reflecting law enforcement's negative publicity
stemming from the 1992 Rodney King beating incident in Los
Angeles.
Little Effect of Sniper Shootings on People's Feelings of
Security
The poll was conducted during extensive media coverage of a
series of sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C. area. Such
coverage could have influenced the public's responses about the
amount of crime that the country is experiencing. But Americans do
not seem significantly more worried about crime today than they
were a year ago.
The poll shows that 45% of respondents worry either "frequently"
or "occasionally" about their home being burglarized in their
absence, and 44% worry that someone will steal or break in to their
car. In addition, 40% worry about being the victim of a terrorist
attack. Just over a quarter of Americans worry about their home
being burglarized when they are at home, and about being mugged.
Just over one in six worry about being sexually assaulted or
getting murdered. Finally, only 6% fear being assaulted or killed
by a coworker.
The results this year are very close to what was measured in a
similar 2001 Gallup Poll.
| How Often Do You Worry About... |
 |
| Oct 14-17, 2002 |
There are also few differences between this year and last in the
actions that people have taken to protect themselves from crime.
Americans are most likely to avoid certain places they might
otherwise want to go to (43%), followed by keeping a dog (30%),
having a burglar alarm installed in their house (24%), buying a gun
for protection of their home (21%), carrying mace or pepper spray
(16%), carrying a knife (11%), and carrying a gun (10%).
| Do You/Have You Done Any of the Following
Because of Your Concern About Crime? |
 |
| Oct 14-17, 2002 |
Survey Methods
The most recent results from each of the two surveys are based
on telephone interviews with about 1,002 national adults, aged 18+,
conducted Oct. 14-17, 2002. For results based on the total sample
of likely voters, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin
of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points. In addition to
sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in
conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of
public opinion polls.
