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Poll Finds Majority of NYC Voters Reject Anti-Cop Narrative, Want More Police on Their Streets

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Are New York City’s voters finally ready to see the error of their ways and quit voting for Democrats?

Probably not. But according to a recent poll, a majority of those likely to vote in the upcoming Democratic mayoral primary want more police in their communities following a year that saw a spike in violent crimes and the defund the police movement take hold of city hall.

Ineffectual New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is on his way out next year, so one person, likely to be a fellow Democrat, will succeed him. That person will be left with a cratered economy, serious issues with gun and gang crime and the threats posed by the city’s bail reform laws.

It’s too early to tell which candidate will replace de Blasio, who has termed out, but there is one thing almost three-quarters of likely voters want: more cops.

A recent poll conducted by NY1/Ipsos asked New Yorkers about policing in their communities.

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When asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with the statement “The NYPD should put more officers on the street,” respondents answered in one of five ways.

Out of likely voters in the coming primary race, 41 percent strongly agreed that more officers were needed patrolling New York City’s streets. An additional 31 percent said they somewhat agreed more cops were needed. Eleven percent of those who answered the question somewhat disagreed that more officers are needed, nine percent strongly opposed more cops and eight percent said they didn’t know how to answer.

That means 72 percent of the poll’s respondents who said they would likely vote in the primary wanted more cops, while only 20 percent opposed the idea of putting more cops on the ground in the country’s most populous city.

The NY1/Ipsos poll surveyed 3,249 New York City residents, 906 being Democratic likely voters, from May 17 to 31, 2021 with a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

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The poll makes a compelling argument that de Blasio and other city Democrats have failed to convince their city’s residents this past year that fewer police officers would make them safer. Once cops began to come under fire last May and then saw their budgets cut, the entire country of course saw the results, but New Yorkers felt them.

Violent crimes skyrocketed, minority Americans were struck by brazen daylight assailants and memories of New York City’s violent past returned to the forefront of peoples’ minds.

The New York Post reported Monday that shootings in the city have surged 68 percent so far this year when compared to the same time last year. In the first five months of 2021, 687 people were killed or wounded by gunfire. Citing crime patterns from previous years, the outlet predicted a potentially violent summer.

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New Yorkers will pick a new leader with primary elections on June 22, followed by a general election on Nov. 2. While de Blasio will finally be finished, New Yorkers will almost certainly elect a Democrat to replace him.

Perhaps that person will be sane enough to embrace the important role police officers have in keeping citizens safe and once again make New York City a place worth visiting. The city’s likely voters have spoken, and they certainly don’t seem to support any more NYPD budget cuts.

The NY1/Ipsos poll found Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams currently leads a crowded field of Democrats seeking to replace de Blasio.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang came in second with 16 percent support among likely voters.

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Johnathan Jones has worked as a reporter, an editor, and producer in radio, television and digital media.
Johnathan "Kipp" Jones has worked as an editor and producer in radio and television. He is a proud husband and father.




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