Black Americans More Worried About Crime Than White Americans

Black Americans are more concerned about the state of crime in the U.S. than white Americans, according to a new report.
In a CrimeChannel.org survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, 70 percent said they worry about crime “a lot” or “some” of the time. However, that number was significantly higher among Black Americans than white Americans. Roughly 72 percent of Black Americans were concerned about crime in America versus 68 percent of white Americans.
There were other groups far more likely to report worrying about crime, as well. Roughly 78 percent of those who watched the news were worried, and 77 percent of residents in large cities said the same.
Generationally, Gen Xers had the most fear about crime in America at 76 percent, while Republicans also had more fear, with 75 percent saying they were worried.
The vast majority, 80 percent, of Americans said crime played some or a major impact on what they do or where they go.
A bigger majority (80 percent) said crime has “some” or “major” impact on what they do and where they go. Roughly 66 percent of all Americans surveyed said they now more strongly favor laws that keep criminals in prison longer because of their concerns about crime.
Public perception of what was driving crime varied. While 80 percent said it was because of “too many illegal drugs available to young people,” 77 percent attributed it to “general moral decline in the country” and 76 percent said it was because of a “lack of mental health treatment facilities.”
Crime policy could play a major role in who wins the presidential election, the survey found. Among all U.S. adults, 70 percent said crime will be an important issue when they vote for president this year. That was higher among Republicans at 81 percent.
Crime statistics have long portrayed a complicated relationship between race and crime numbers and overall arrests.
For 2019, despite making up only 12.2 percent of the U.S. population, Black Americans made up 26.6 percent of total arrests, including 51.2 percent of all murders that year, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report.
While some attribute these numbers to Black Americans committing more acts of crime, other political scientists have pointed at the higher incarceration rates as proof of racial bias in the criminal justice system.
“I believe that far too often and far too long, there has been a widely held and erroneously misconception and accepted belief by too many, that Black Americans are far more engaged in and receptive of both criminal activities and acceptance of criminal behavior, than other racial, ethnic or cultural dimorphic groups,” William F. Hall, adjunct professor of political science and business at Webster University, told Newsweek.
While rates of violent crime have gone down since the COVID-19 pandemic, it continues to be a major issue for former President Donald Trump and Vice President in their race for the White House. In a September Gallup poll, voters marked it as the fourth-most important issue.
When it comes to the candidates, 43 percent of voters said they trusted Harris more on crime in a Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey, while 40 percent said the same about Trump.
Update 10/21/24 8:14 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from William F. Hall.