81% of Americans see crime as 'major problem' in big cities: Poll

The vast majority of Americans view crime as a "major problem" in large cities, but there’s less support for federal takeovers of police departments like what’s happening in Washington, D.C.

According to the latest AP-NORC poll, handling crime is now a relative strength for President Donald Trump, despite Americans being generally unhappy with his handling of issues like immigration and the economy. 

Crime a ‘major problem,’ Americans believe

By the numbers:

The poll shows 81% of Americans see crime as a "major problem" in large cities — a concern Trump has seized on as he has deployed the National Guard to the District of Columbia and threatened to expand that model to cities across the country. And his overall approval rating has increased slightly, from 40% in July to 45% now.

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That belief is especially pronounced among Republicans, nearly all of whom see crime as a significant problem in large cities. Roughly 7 in 10 independents and Democrats agree.

About half of U.S. adults, 53%, say they approve of Trump’s handling of crime, the poll finds.

That’s higher than his approval rating on the economy, immigration and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine — which are in line with his overall approval rating.

Trump’s approach on crime is similarly popular among white and Hispanic adults, with roughly half in each group saying they approve of the way he’s handling the issue. Black adults, however, are substantially less likely to say they’re on board with Trump’s approach to crime, with just 27% in favor.

Trump also garners much stronger support from independents on crime than on other issues. Roughly half of independents approve of his handling of crime, compared with about 3 in 10 who approve of his handling of the economy, immigration and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Big picture view:

There’s broad agreement among Americans that crime is a significant issue in large cities, even with incident numbers in decline.

Americans who live in urban areas are also more likely to say crime is a "major problem" in their own communities.

Less support for federal takeover

Dig deeper:

Still, there are limits to what the public may accept. The poll finds 55% of U.S. adults believe it is "completely" or "somewhat" unacceptable for the federal government to take control of local police departments, as Trump has effectively done in Washington.

Republicans are overwhelmingly in favor of the federal government using the military and the National Guard to assist local police, but even they are more hesitant about the federal government taking control of local police departments.

About half of Republicans find this to be acceptable, while about one-third say it’s not. Democrats are broadly opposed to both.