Local crime is a major focus of public safety coverage, with about three-quarters of Americans saying they at least sometimes get news and information about local crime. But how that news is perceived and acted upon varies widely across the country. In this third in a series of articles on the topic, the Pew Research Center takes an in-depth look at how residents receive and respond to local crime data.
People’s reactions to local crime differ by age and racial and ethnic background. For example, Black Americans are more likely than others to say they see news about violent crime in their community on a daily basis – higher than any other racial or ethnic group we surveyed. They are also more interested in a wide range of aspects of local crime news, including details about specific incidents and tips on how to stay safe.
But many people feel that local crime news is not easily accessible. Specifically, nearly half of those who report seeing this kind of information say that it is hard for them to keep up with all the different sources of information available. This is especially true for those who want to know the underlying causes or broader patterns in their local crime – only 22% of these Americans say it is easy for them to find this information.
For property owners, a strong understanding of the types and trends of crime in their area is crucial to designing an effective security program. We offer a number of ways to help you stay up-to-date on local crime conditions, including LexisNexis’ Community Crime Map, police crime statistics reports, calls-for-service data and custom crime analysis prepared by our security consultants.
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