Black women are more likely than any other demographic to see crime as a “very serious problem,” according to a new poll.
The GQR and Vera Action survey, published on Tuesday, found that 79 percent of black women say that crime is a very serious problem.
Overall, the pollsters found that 92 percent of voters in surveys of both national and battleground states say crime is a serious problem, including 57 percent who say it is a “very serious” problem.
“Concerns about public safety are even more pronounced among women, Black voters and older voters. Women are 6 points more likely to say that crime is a very serious problem than men,” the pollsters report. “Nearly 80 percent of Black women say crime is a very serious problem, compared to 61 percent of Black men. The gender gaps are narrower between Hispanic women and Hispanic men – 60 percent compared to 57 percent – as well as between AAPI women and men, 52 percent and 45 percent.”
Among older voters, 68 percent said that crime is a very serious problem, while only 46 percent of younger voters agreed.
While most voters said that crime is a serious problem, almost all voters feel safe in their own communities, with 90 percent reporting that they feel safe and 38 percent saying they feel “very safe.”
However, only 24 percent of black women feel “very safe” in their communities.
The voters were asked about support fo law enforcement, without the binary options of “fund” or “defund” the police. Instead, they were shown a “more comprehensive set of statements about the police.”
“Nearly 40 percent of voters say that we should ‘support the police who put their lives on the line for us but also hold accountable those who use excessive force or abuse their power.’ This is the most important statement among Democrats, Republicans, and independents, including independent women.”