Peach Tree Times

With crime on the rise in Georgia and across the nation, and "Defund the Police" movements still present in some communities, more Americans are reportedly more concerned about crime than at any other time during the 21st century. 

According to poll results, this topic is not only a worry among conservatives voters, but among progressive voters, too. The recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is said to be the latest sign that crime remains a potent issue in municipal elections.

According to a CNN analysis story, a Gallup poll from earlier this year found that as a whole, Americans' dissatisfaction with the nation's policies to reduce or control crime is at the highest rate ever in the 21st century.

The Gallup Poll results revealed that 72% of Americans were dissatisfied with the nation's policies to reduce or control crime. CNN reports that number is up from 65% in 2021 and 49% in 2020. The poll also found that "the dissatisfaction crosses partisan lines," as 65% of Democrats indicated they were at least somewhat dissatisfied with the nation's policies on crime and 87% of Republicans expressed dissatisfaction.

"Crime is one of the few issues where public opinion has tilted toward the conservative position in the country as a whole," CNN's Harry Enten said. "Registered voters, by a 16-point margin (50%-34%), said they trusted the Republican Party more on crime than the Democratic Party."

A late April, ABC News/Washington Post poll also revealed dissatisfaction about crime from both parties. According to CNN, it was the only non-economic issue polled in which Republicans held an advantage outside the margin of error.

While violent crime is up in some places, Enten makes the argument that it is lower-level nonviolent crimes such as theft is happening more frequently, which contributes to a common feeling that things have gone out of control. In some of the nation's largest cities, such as San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, all categories of theft are up from last year.

According to AP News, after serving San Francisco for a little more than two years, Boudin was recalled by 60% of voters June 7 following a fierce debate over crime and police.

The recall of Boudin proved that "not even in the Democratic bastion of San Francisco is a progressive safe from the wrath of voters worried about crime," Enten said.

The Center Square reported that Georgia's violent crime rose at a rate of 17.4% from 2019 to 2020. The current rate stands at 400 incidents per 100,000 people, which is higher than most other states. The majority of violent crimes reported in the state during that year (73.4%) were cases of aggravated assault. 

However, the increase in violent crime rates in the Peach State was led by a surge in homicide cases. In 2020, 943 murders were reported in Georgia, representing a 44.2% increase from 654 murders in 2019.

According to an April WalletHub report, Atlanta has seen the third-largest increase in its homicide rate compared to other U.S. cities since the COVID-19 pandemic began.