Poll: Americans back criminal and homelessness reform

By Zachery Schmidt
The Center Square

This story has been updated since its initial publication.

Americans support stricter criminal measures and homelessness reform, according to a new poll by The Cicero Institute.

The overwhelming support for reforms transcend party and demographic lines, according to Stefani Buhajla, the Austin, Texas-based think tank’s senior director of communications.

“Folks want accountability. They’re tired of feeling unsafe,” Buhajla told The Center Square this week. “They see crime as increasing, and they want their states to do something about it.”

According to the poll, 75% of respondents said violent crime in America is “increasing/staying about the same.”

Buhajla noted 82% of respondents supported life in prison or the death penalty for people convicted of “aggravated murder, even if they have a mental illness.”

They think dangerous individuals “should be removed from the public so they can’t cause harm anymore,” she said.

The poll also found 61% of respondents supported having habitual criminals with a history of mental illness get court-ordered treatment and stabilization.

“People are worried that it could be their child, wife, or loved one [who is] next. They want assurances that the criminal justice system is going to do its job [and] they’re going to put these criminals away,” she said.

According to Buhajla, America’s justice system has been “letting the American people down for a long time.”

In Phoenix, violent crime from Jan. 1 to June 30 compared to the same time last year has seen slight decreases in homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault incidents, according to Major Cities Chiefs Association.

The association’s survey also found this trend occurring across 68 cities in America.

Regarding homelessness, the Cicero Institute poll found 64% of respondents said homeless people should be mandated to go to addiction and mental health treatment and job programs as part of them getting taxpayer-funded housing.

Research has shown that a large portion of “chronically homeless individuals” have mental health issues, Buhajla said.

Sixty-four percent of respondents also opposed allowing homeless people to camp on public property.

Furthermore, 75% of respondents said they backed the idea of creating temporary camping areas away from residential and business areas that contain water, sanitation and police services.

“Voters are interested in compassionate solutions when it comes to general homelessness. People in communities really do want solutions that help these people get their lives back together,” Buhajla stated.

The Cicero Institute’s poll gathered responses from 2,102 likely voters from Sept. 20-25. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 2.18%.