New Yorkers are more worried about their safety from violent crime than residents of any other state in the US. The new survey from SafeWise comes out just as Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for gun violence. The group’s safety reporter Rebecca Edwards compiles an annual report to see how worried Americans are about gun violence and property crime, compared to FBI crime statistics.
“We’ve seen a huge disconnect between what we think is what is happening in the world, what we think is out there threatening us, how prevalent that threat is, and the reality of it. The good news is we’re usually a lot more concerned than we need to be.”
The survey reveals just how on-edge New Yorkers are about violence in the state, where the fear of encountering gun or other violent crime is dramatically higher than reality.
“New York numbers are really high, both in terms of being concerned and in having personal experiences. 73% of New Yorkers told us that they are worried a gun violence incident could happen to them. That number is 92% higher than the national average. Only 38% of Americans across-the-board think they’re likely to be involved in a gun violence incident.”
She says crime data show New York is safer than many other states, and has low rates of violent and property crime, per capita. The survey findings were also surprising because of the state’s low gun ownership, and gun control laws. Edwards notes this has not eased people’s fears regarding crime and their protection.
“Between 20 and 40% of all gun purchases in 2020 were first-time gun owners. So, people who weren’t typically looking for firearms as a form of protection are starting to. That’s a trend that started to happen in 2020 and seems to be continuing in 2021.”
In addition to the overall violence fears, the study finds New Yorkers more concerned about gun violence in particular, property crimes, even package theft than the US average – again despite having lower levels of such crimes than many other states.
SafeWise helps people with home safety, rating security systems, and reviewing things from baby monitors to parental software to senior medical alerts. Edwards hopes their research results can help people temper their anxieties, and help them make logical decisions about their family’s safety. The ‘State of Safety Report’ is at SafeWise.com.
