Poll shows 90% of Detroit residents want MORE cops

Poll shows 90% of Detroit residents want MORE cops
Poll shows 90% of Detroit residents want MORE cops

Most Americans in major cities are more worried about crime than defunding the police - as a new poll shows about 90% of Detroit residents actually want more cops.

A new poll from USA TODAY and the Detroit Free Press conducted with Suffolk University found that Detroit residents overwhelmingly agree that they would feel safer with more cops on the street.

Detroit was not alone, as a poll from WNBC, Telemundo 47 and Politico conducted with Marist last month shows that 70% of black Democrats want more cops patrolling the Big Apple.

In that poll, 21% of likely Democratic voters even want the return of the plainclothes anti-crime police in some neighborhoods. 

And in Chicago, another poll last month from the MacArthur Foundation found that 79% of residents in the Windy City said they feel safer when they see police in their neighborhoods.

Those polls echo dozens of others conducted after the murder of George Floyd last May sparked loud calls to 'defund the police' - a barrage of public opinion showing most Americans do not actually want less cops. 

DETROIT: A protester talks to the Detroit police officers in riot gear in May 2020. A new poll shows about 90% of Detroit residents actually want more cops

DETROIT: A protester talks to the Detroit police officers in riot gear in May 2020. A new poll shows about 90% of Detroit residents actually want more cops

DETROIT: Hundreds of people take part in a peace march across the MacArthur Bridge to rally against the death of George Floyd in 2020

DETROIT: Hundreds of people take part in a peace march across the MacArthur Bridge to rally against the death of George Floyd in 2020

DETROIT: Protesters hold

DETROIT: Protesters hold 'Detroit Will Breathe' banner during a march against police in 2020

DETROIT: MC Jordan Weber leads Detroit Will Breathe in chants in favor of Black Lives throughout downtown Detroit in 2020

DETROIT: MC Jordan Weber leads Detroit Will Breathe in chants in favor of Black Lives throughout downtown Detroit in 2020

DETROIT: Demonstrators protest against police brutality for a second day following a night of confrontations between protesters and riot police on May 30, 2020 in Detroit

DETROIT: Demonstrators protest against police brutality for a second day following a night of confrontations between protesters and riot police on May 30, 2020 in Detroit

DETROIT: A protester demonstrates during a night of clashes between protesters and Detroit police in May 2020

DETROIT: A protester demonstrates during a night of clashes between protesters and Detroit police in May 2020

DETROIT: Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters marched to celebrate the election of President Joe Biden and denouncing police violence in November 2020

DETROIT: Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters marched to celebrate the election of President Joe Biden and denouncing police violence in November 2020

DETROIT: Demonstrators march through the city calling for President Donald Trump to concede the presidency on November 7, 2020

DETROIT: Demonstrators march through the city calling for President Donald Trump to concede the presidency on November 7, 2020

Another recent USA TODAY poll conducted with Ipsos found that nearly 66% of Americans said violent crime has worsened in the last year and 70% of said they wanted police budgets to increase - not decrease.

In the Detroit poll, about 75% of respondents rejected the progressive slogan 'defund the police' and only 33% of respondents said Motor City cops use force when it's unnecessary.

Lifelong Detroit resident Charlita Bell, 41, was among those called in the poll and recounted to USA TODAY how her car was hit by stray bullets during a shopping trip.

'It's scary sitting in the house, and when you go outside to the gas station or the store, it's possible someone will be shooting right next to you,' Bell said.

Rita Gibbs, 70, told USA TODAY that she is so distressed from violent news that she hates to watch it. 

'It's always some random shootings. I just can't stand it,' she said.

Despite the perceptions of the community, Democrats in Michigan's House of Representatives announced a slew of bills last month to reform policing in the state, WOOD-TV reported.

The package of 16 bills included measures such as banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants, as well as ending the legal doctrine of 'qualified immunity' - which protects officers from lawsuits.

'There is absolutely nothing political about this bill package,' Rep. Tenisha Yancey said while announcing the bills. 

The poll, conducted by phone from July 13 to July 17, included responses from 500 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. 

Pollsters gave respondents a list of eight topics from which to weigh as the biggest issue facing Detroit. The results are ranked in order: education, public safety, affordable housing, COVID-19, jobs, taxes, race relations, and police reform.

Of the respondents, 23% called education the biggest issue facing Detroit - with public safety coming in second at 19%. Police reform ranked last, with just 4% of respondents calling it the biggest issue facing the city.

The results should that 24% of black residents ranked crime the biggest concern while just 3% of black residents named police reform the biggest concern.

By contrast, 7% more white respondents - 10% - than black respondents ranked police reform their biggest concert in Detroit. 

Only 12% of white people ranked crime their biggest concern, half the percentage of black residents. 

NEW YORK: Protesters hold a rally  to demand that the New York City Council vote against a budget they claim doesn't make enough cuts to the police department on June 29

NEW YORK: Protesters hold a rally  to demand that the New York City Council vote against a budget they claim doesn't make enough cuts to the police department on June 29

NEW YORK: New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adams, not pictured, does not support 'defund the police' policies

NEW YORK: New York City mayoral

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