Siena Poll: Most New Yorkers concerned about crime

BY ASHLEY HUPFL The Daily Gazette
 
 A new poll finds most New Yorkers are worried about crime or being a victim of a crime and worry about their safety in public places.
 
 A Siena College Research institute poll released Wednesday found 61% of New Yorkers are either very or somewhat concerned about being a victim of a crime. Fifty-one percent of respondents also have worried about their or their family’s safety in public places, including schools, stores or houses of worship. According to Reuters on July 3, there had been 340 mass shootings nationwide this year.
 
 The poll also found 41% of respondents say they have “never been this worried about their personal safety as they are today,” while 58% say they are no more worried about being a victim of a crime today than they have been in the past.
 
 “Crime isn’t just something that happens to others far away according to New Yorkers,” SCRI Director Don Levy said in a release. “But more worrisome is that a majority of New Yorkers say that they are concerned about their or their family’s safety when thinking about being in public places, the places we all go, including schools, stores or religious institutions. Crime and the threat of crime is on the minds of many of us as we simply go through our everyday lives. Most say that they are no more worried than ever but over 40% say it’s the worst it’s ever been.”
 
 In an effort to protect themselves, the poll found 40% of state residents have spent $100 or more in the last year on goods or services to feel safer or more protected from crime, with 12% spending more than $500. About a third of residents purchased home security cameras or security lights with motion sensors and a quarter have hired professionally monitored home security systems. Additionally, one in six New Yorkers have taken a self-defense class and 12% have purchased a firearm for self-defense.
 
 The nation saw a sharp increase in violent crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a state report released May 31, violent gun crimes in New York peaked in 2021 with 215 people killed by gun violence. There was a slight decrease in 2022, with 203 people killed by gun violence.
 
 Given the amount of media coverage about rising crime surrounding the pandemic, it is important to note that overall crime rates have decreased since 2012. State data shows despite the overall uptick in 2020 and the increase in violent crimes in 2021, total crimes are still 24.1% lower than they were in 2012 and incidents of violent crime remain four percent lower than a decade ago.
 
 However, the poll found 38% of residents have witnessed violent or threatening behavior among others in a public setting. Additionally, 16% of residents say they have been a victim of identity theft and nine percent of residents have either been a victim of a burglary or been physically assaulted.
 
 “As sobering as the percentages are for having been actually victimized, or having witnessed threatening events, perhaps due to those numbers, even greater percentages are concerned that something may happen to them,” Levy said in a statement. “About forty percent are concerned about their safety due to hearing about things taking place in their neighborhood that they don’t condone and a similar percentage are worried due to criminal activity in their neighborhood.”
 
 The poll was conducted from June 4 to 12 by random telephone calls to 382 New York adults via landline and cell phones and 420 responses were drawn from a proprietary online panel of New Yorkers.