Seventy Percent of NYC Residents Feel Less Safe Now Than When Pandemic Began, New Poll Finds
Seventy percent of New York City residents feel less safe now than when the pandemic began, according to a new Siena College poll released Tuesday.
The poll found that 76 percent of residents are concerned they could be the victim of a violent crime, while just 24 percent said they are not concerned.
The poll was conducted between May 22 and June 1, weeks after 62-year-old Frank James allegedly opened fire on a busy subway train in Brooklyn with a 9mm Glock handgun, injuring ten people. James has pleaded not guilty to terrorism and weapons charges in connection to the April 12 shooting.
The polling also began days before a 25-year-old man with a lengthy rap sheet was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the unprovoked fatal shooting of a man on the New York City subway.
Andrew Abdullah allegedly shot and killed Daniel Enriquez, 48, on the Q train around 11:40 a.m. on May 22 as Enriquez headed to brunch, according to the New York Times.
Overall crime in the city increased 28 percent last month, according to Spectrum News. The city saw a rise in grand larcenies, burglaries, robberies and gun arrests, though Mayor Eric Adams said last week that shootings in New York are trending downward.
As New Yorkers live in fear of violence, 56 percent of respondents in the Siena College poll said the city is headed in the wrong direction.
Adams’ approval rating has tanked; just 29 percent of city residents said the mayor’s performance has been “excellent” or “good,” while 64 percent said it has been “fair” or “poor.”
Forty-five percent said he’s doing a poor job on fighting crime, while 49 percent said he is doing a poor job of addressing homelessness.
Meanwhile, 46 percent of respondents said New York state is heading in the wrong direction with 54 percent calling Governor Kathy Hochul’s performance “fair” or “poor.”
