A national survey released by the Trafalgar Group found that nearly seven in ten U.S. voters said they felt less safe than they did two years earlier, reflecting growing public concern about crime and personal safety during 2022.
According to the poll, 67.9% of respondents said they felt less safe than they had in 2020, while 27.1% reported feeling safer. The survey interviewed 1,079 likely voters and reported a margin of error of Âą2.9 percentage points.
Responses differed considerably by political affiliation. Among Republican respondents, 86.8% said they felt less safe than they did two years earlier. That figure was 64.1% among independents and 44.4% among Democrats.
Among respondents who said they felt safer than they had in 2020, 47.8% identified as Democrats, while 9.1% identified as Republicans.
The survey also found broad concern across demographic groups. According to Trafalgar, majorities of men and women, as well as respondents across most age and racial groups, reported feeling less safe than they had two years earlier. Among voters ages 18 to 24, more than 90% said they felt less safe than they did in 2020.
By race, the poll found that 70% of Asian American respondents, 68.4% of White respondents, 64.7% of Hispanic respondents, and 58.1% of Black respondents reported feeling less safe than they had two years earlier.
The survey was conducted during a period when several large U.S. cities were reporting increases in certain violent crime categories. According to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, robberies increased by more than 13% and aggravated assaults rose by nearly 3% compared with the previous year among participating jurisdictions.
Separately, FBI crime data showed that the national violent crime rate increased in 2020 compared with previous years, although it remained below levels recorded a decade earlier. Crime trends vary by offense, jurisdiction, and year, and public perceptions of safety may not always correspond directly with reported crime statistics.
Poll Methodology
The Trafalgar Group surveyed 1,079 likely U.S. voters. The survey reported a margin of sampling error of Âą2.9 percentage points. Polls measure public opinion at the time they are conducted and should be interpreted alongside other surveys and official crime data.
Sources
- Trafalgar Group, Nationwide Safety Survey (Full Report â PDF)
- Trafalgar Group, Official announcement on X
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Sept. 23, 2022, and has been updated for clarity and archival purposes.
