Support For Police Officers Hits Highest Level Since 1967
By Dreamer
In today's era of heightened racial tensions, staunchly partisan politics, and widespread awareness of police brutality, support for police has shot up to highs unseen since the end of the Civil Rights Movement. A new survey finds that over three in four Americans have respect for their local police -- a level that near matches 1967.
“The sharp increase over the past year in professed respect for local law enforcement comes as many police say they feel they are on the defensive -- both politically and for their lives while they are on duty -- amid heated national discussions on police brutality and shootings,” Justin McCarthy, author of the report for Gallup, wrote in the survey’s release.
Respect for police in 2015 was at 64 percent. For 2016, that number has increased to 76 percent.
Furthermore, among whites surveyed, four in five, or 80 percent, say they have a “great deal” of respect for police. Among non-whites, two in three, or 67 percent, say the same.
Since 1965, those with a “great deal” of respect for police bottomed out at 56 percent around 2006.
A September report by the Pew Research Center found varying attitudes by Americans about police.
According to Pew, 42 percent of Americans have “a lot” of confidence in police. Among blacks, the percentage drops to 14 percent.
The Gallup report also cites an increase in police targeted shootings over the last year, including a gunman who killed an officer in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem in 2015.
In June, a lone gunman shot 13 law enforcement officers in Dallas, Texas. Five of them died.
According to The Washington Post, David Brown, the Dallas Police chief, stated the gunman was “upset about the recent police shootings” of unarmed black men and “said he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers,” in retaliation.
Sources: Gallup, The Washington Post, Pew Research Center / Photo credit:NYPD/Instagram
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