A decreasing number of Americans believe crime is an extremely or very serious problem, a recent Gallup Poll reported.
The poll found that Americans’ perception of crime rates and the actual statistics are different, according to thehill.com. Crime rates have fallen nationwide in the U.S. since the 1990s. However, the number of Americans who say crime is increasing is still high at 60 percent,
Forty-nine percent of 1,019 people surveyed in October also said crime is a serious or extreme problem; the year before the number was 59 percent.
Forty-two percent said crime was dropping in their neighborhood and only a fourth said it was rising.
According to thehill.com, it was the first year since 2001 that more Americans have said crime was decreasing locally. Also on a local scale only 9 percent said crime was a very serious or extremely serious problem.
In 2009, 79 percent of the people said crime was rising, but the FBI crime rates fell between 2014-2018.
The margin for error on the survey is plus or minus 4 percentage points, according to the Gallup Poll.
