Most Americans say “Defunding Police”will Result in More Violent Crime

photo courtesy of Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, according to Rasmussen Reports opposition is growing to efforts by the political left to defund the police, with most Americans convinced that such a move will lead to more violent crime.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 66% of American Adults now oppose reducing the police budget in the community where they live to channel that money into more social services. That’s up from 59% in early June when we first asked this question. Just 23% favor defunding the cops where they live, down from 27% in the previous survey. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Calls for defunding the police are being aggressively championed by the Black Lives Matter movement, but even among black Americans, 57% are opposed to defunding the police in their home community. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of whites and 62% of other minority adults share that view.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of all Americans believe that violent crime is likely to go up in communities that defund the police. Only 12% think violent crime is more likely to go down, while 20% predict it will remain about the same.

Sixty-four percent (64%) of Americans are concerned that the growing criticism of America’s police will lead to a shortage of police officers and reduce public safety in the community where they live.

Most Americans in nearly every demographic category oppose defunding their local police and think that such a move is likely to lead to more violent crime.

Democrats (37%) are much more supportive of defunding the police in their community than Republicans (17%) and those not affiliated with either major political party (15%) are. While 78% of Republicans and 62% of unaffiliateds believe that defunding the cops is likely to lead to more criminal violence, just 45% of Democrats agree.

Among Americans who favor defunding the police where they live and channeling that money into more social services, only 23% think it’s likely to lead to more violent crime. Slightly more (27%) say violent crime is more likely to go down with fewer cops around.

Eighty-two percent (82%) of  those opposed to defunding their local police believe that action is likely to result in more violent crime.

Sixteen percent (16%) of Americans think most cops are racist, up from 10% a year ago. But 67% still rate the performance of their local police as good or excellent.

Interestingly, Americans see less racism among cops than they do among their fellow countrymen in general. Twenty-two percent (22%) believe most Americans are racist.