In contrast to the progressive left, most Americans want funding for police to increase or stay the same, not decline. Americans of all racial, age and income groups reject defunding. Concerns regarding violent crime are on the rise.
A September 2021 poll by the Pew Research Center shows solid support for more funding for the police. Overall, 47 percent of Americans support a lot or a little increase in funding for police versus only 15 percent that want funding for police reduced.
Only 23 percent of blacks support less funding for police versus 38 percent that want funding increased and 38 percent that want funding to stay the same. Whites and Hispanics are equally supportive of more funding for police with both groups supporting more funding over less by a three to one margin.
Six in ten Americans view violent crime as a very big problem, up from five in ten in 2019. No surprise given the surge in murder and mayhem especially in big cities in which funding for the police has been cut.
Interestingly, the group least supportive of the police are white Democrats (below).
The results of the Pew Poll show that support for defunding is largely an elite left-wing white phenomena. The mayhem and misery created by the defund the police movement is on display in large cities like Baltimore, Portland, New York and Chicago—all of which are governed by hard-left progressive mayors affiliated with the Democratic Party.
GOUSA supports the police and the maintenance of law and order. Support for the police and rejection of defunding is one of the issues that our rating team considers in assessing politician support for National Opportunity. But we also recognize that personal safety and freedom from crime also determines the degree to which Americans are able to realize opportunities in the other four areas as well.
To learn more about our rating system go here. And to make a contribution to support our work go here.