Detroiters make voices heard in poll

Amid a surge in violent crime in this and other cities across the country, Detroit residents report they are far more concerned about public safety than police misconduct, according to a new poll by U.S. TODAY / Suffolk University / Detroit Free Press .

At an overwhelming 9: 1, they would feel safer with more cops on the street, not fewer. While a third complains that Detroit police use force when not necessary – and black men report high rates of racist profiling – respondents 3: 1 disapprove of some progressives’ slogan of “exposing the police “.

“It’s scary to sit in the house and if you go outside to the gas station or store, it’s possible that someone shoots right next to you,” Charlita Bell, 41, a lifelong Detroit resident told callers heard survey. When her car was hit by stray bullets while shopping last year, she rushed home instead of waiting for the police, fearing the shooter might return.

“It’s always random shootouts,” sighed Rita Gibbs, 70, who is so desperate that she hates turning on the news these days. “I just can’t stand it.”

The Detroit poll was the second in a series called CityView, a project by the USA TODAY Network and Suffolk University Political Research Center that examines urban residents’ attitudes towards the police, public safety, and community. The first survey conducted in Milwaukee last month found widespread dissatisfaction with law enforcement practices there.

The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year by a then-police officer and other examples of brutality against blacks, some of whom were captured on cell phone videos, sparked massive protests demanding police accountability and race settlement. But growing concerns about a sharp rise in killings and shootings across the country over the past year also run through the national law enforcement and criminal justice debate.

In Detroit, one in five residents (19%) cited public safety as the city’s top concern, followed by education, cited by 23%. On a list of eight concerns, police reform ranks last at 4%.

The survey found a significant racial divide on the matter. Black residents named crime high on their list of concerns: 24% cited public safety and only 3% cited police reform.

White residents, however, were slightly more concerned about police reform than they were about public safety, 12% versus 10%. Education was by far the biggest topic for them, cited by 31%.

“I think the Detroit police force is representative of most if not all police organizations in the United States in which they structurally contain behaviors that encourage racism and white supremacy,” said Justin Fenwick, 35, a real estate agent. “It’s hard to look at a police station and say they are doing a good job.”

The survey of 500 adults, which was carried out from July 13 to 17 by landline and mobile phone, has an error rate of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. The poll included all Detroit residents, not just registered or likely voters.

A contrast: black men and black women

There was a striking contrast in police interactions reported by black men and black women.

Black men were twice as likely as black women to report being stopped and interviewed by the police investigating crimes, 38% versus 17%. In addition, black men were twice as likely as black women to report that they were dissatisfied with the way the police handled the encounter, 46% versus 20%.

“You have a few good cops and then a few bad ones,” said Derrick Wilson, 52, also known as DJ Raw, in a follow-up interview. At times, some of the respondents said they saw racial profiling in the way the police approach them personally and their neighborhoods in general.

Among black men and black women, half said they were treated differently because of their race, and most agreed that their treatment was worse. But while nine of the 208 black women surveyed said they were treated better because of their race, none of the 155 black men surveyed said they were treated better.

“Police disagreements across gender lines within the black community may reflect differences in the daily lives of black men and women,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk Political Research Center. “Many would argue that this harsher feeling towards the police is due to the fact that black men are on guard from the moment they leave their home. ‘The conversation’, as it is called, is often between young black men and their parents or guardians very much focused on the idea that black men are of a different standard than the rest of the population. “

Racial relations were cited by only 5% as the main problem facing Detroit, which has the highest percentage of black residents of any major American city. In 2019, the US Census Bureau estimated that 78.3% of Detroit’s 670,000 residents were African American, 14.7% white, 1.8% two or more races.

By comparison, racial relations ranked at the top of the concern in the CityView poll in Milwaukee, with a population of 44% whites, 39% blacks, and 4% two or more races.

In Detroit, respondents found news reports depicting police misconduct and racism across the country credible. At 2-1, 64% -26% they didn’t think the news media was exaggerating these stories. This is in contradiction to a higher level of skepticism across the country. In a USA TODAY / Ipsos poll this month, 46 to 34 percent of respondents said the stories were exaggerated.

“People are more aware,” said Wanda Jan Chris Hill, 71, a retired city worker who is black. “People are being killed everywhere. We know that African Americans have been harmed in the past. We are tired.”

Detroit residents gave the city police an average rating. Seven percent described his performance as excellent, 33% as good, 43% as fair and 15% as bad. That means a 58% majority rated local law enforcement agencies as mediocre or worse.

However, they also rely on the police. Eight out of ten would likely seek help from a police officer if they needed it. Even more, 87%, would likely give the police information about a crime they witnessed.

When it comes to treating races fairly, they gave the Detroit Police Department high marks.

More than three-quarters of respondents, 77%, agreed that the Detroit police force “generally does a good job and treats people fairly, even if there are a few bad apples on the police force”.

Only 16% said the police were “racist in their dealings with people, even when some of them are trying to do a good job”.

“I have a feeling that you are one of us; you are not intruders,” said Kenneth Wolfe, 74, a retired landlord. “This is a law and order society. If you don’t have people who support law and order, then you don’t have a society. You are law and order enforcement.”

Crime rates in Detroit and across the country have dropped significantly for decades, though most residents are unaware of it. Half incorrectly said there was more violent crime in Detroit than it was 30 years ago. Only one in five correctly said that there was less violent crime.

But the relatively steady decline in homicides and shootings has been reversed over the past year. While property crimes fell, Detroit recorded 327 criminal homicides in 2020, up 19% from 2019, and 1,173 nonfatal shootings, up an impressive 53%. Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and other major cities reported similar peaks.

More:Detroit sees a sharp increase in killings and shootings in 2020

In the survey, 28% of respondents said they had seen an increase in killings and shootings in their neighborhood; 35% reported a decline.

Barbara Landrum, 66, was shocked when a young woman was shot dead just blocks from her home in the Warrendale neighborhood of Detroit this year. The retired chef no longer feels safe walking in a nearby park. “It’s got to a point where I’m scared to do that,” she said.

65% -23% of the respondents do not support the slogan “Defund the Police”. They share 49% -42% in support of the idea of ​​cutting the police down a bit and using the money for social services – for example to help the homeless and the mentally ill.

Why has violent crime increased?

The reasons are a complicated mix, say Detroit residents, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, gun availability and job shortages. Each of these three factors was mentioned by 13% of the respondents.

Terrell Garner, 41, a contractor who works in the construction industry blames the stress of the pandemic lockdown that kept many in their homes, sometimes in difficult situations. “Now that the world is open again, people go outside and take this pent-up frustration on everyone,” he said.

Unemployment and poverty also play a role, said Jerome Washington, 53. “There’s no money and that’s where your crime comes in,” he said. In Detroit everyone “fights”.

“It’s very dangerous in the city now,” said Melanie Taylor, 50. “I can’t even get gasoline in the city because of all the shootings and anger on the highways.” The mother of two sons worries that women and children are increasingly becoming victims of violence. “It seems like there is no code of honor.”