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POLITICS

64% Worry About Cop Shortage and Public Safety; Blacks Worry Most

Most Americans value the role of the police and worry that increasing criticism of cops will make their communities less safe. Black Americans are the most concerned.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 63% of American Adults still regard being a police officer as one of the most important jobs in our country today, down only slightly from 68% three years ago. Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree, up from 19% in the earlier survey. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Sixty-four percent (64%) 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. That includes 39% who are Very Concerned. But 33% don’t share that concern, with 14% who are Not At All Concerned about the risk to public safety.

Blacks (67%) are the most concerned about public safety where they live, compared to 63% of whites and 65% of other minority Americans.

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted June 21-22, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely U.S. Voters agree with President Trump when he said recently: “Our police have been letting us live in peace, and we want to make sure we don’t have any bad actors in there. [But] 99% of them are great, great people.” Thirty percent (30%) don’t agree, while 14% are not sure.

Men feel more strongly than women that being a police officer is one of America’s most important jobs, but over 60% of both are concerned about local public safety if the criticism of the police worsens.

Those under 40 are the most critical of the police but are still worried about public safety if there’s a shortage of police officers.

Just 52% of Democrats consider being a police officer one of the most important jobs in the country, a view held by 82% of Republicans and 60% of adults not affiliated with either major party. But then while 56% of Republicans are Very Concerned that the growing criticism of the police will reduce public safety where they live, only 31% of Democrats and 34% of unaffiliateds agree.

Eighty-three percent (83%) of Americans who view being a police officer as one of the most important jobs are concerned about potential public safety risks from a shortage of police. Among those who don’t rate the police highly, only 27% share those safety concerns

The Black Lives Matter movement is calling for defunding police departments nationwide and channeling that money into more social services. But most voters are opposed to cutting their local police budget

Sixteen percent (16%) of Americans think most cops are racist in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, 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.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted June 21-22, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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