Americans' concern over crime hits four-year high: poll

Americans’ concerns over crime have hit a four-year high, according to a Washington Post- ABC News poll released Friday.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said that crime is an “extremely” or “very serious” problem in the U.S., the highest level since 2017.

On a local level, worries about crime are also growing, though lower than the national concern.

Seventeen percent of respondents said that crime was either “extremely” or a “very serious” problem in the areas they live in, compared with 10 percent last fall.

The survey comes amid a heated debate about how to address crime amid a spike.

Last month, President Biden outlined his plans to address crime, which includes encouraging jurisdictions to use coronavirus relief funds to invest in police departments and community programs to cut down on violence, as well as addressing gun violence.