A new poll by Indy Politics and Mason Strategies found concerns about increasing crime in Indianapolis.
The survey of 350 likely voters reveals 40 percent say the city is less safe than it was a year ago. And crime is especially a concern among the African American community, says Indy Politics Dot Org editor and publisher Abdul Hakim Shabazz.
“We broke it down by ethnicity and looked at the African American community. Nearly half at 48 percent said the city was less safe than it was a year ago. Less than a third of black voters said it was safer than last year.”
The poll also found concern about city safety is most felt in the southern three townships, where 45% say Indianapolis is less safe, compared to the 41% in the central townships and 36% in the northern townships. Women are also likely to report that the city is less safe, with a 44% plurality and only 24% saying the city is safer. By contrast, men are tied, 35% to 33%, on whether the city is less safe to safer.
The poll of 350 likely voters was conducted October 14-17 by Mason Strategies and has a margin of error of 5.2 percent.
The issue of public safety has become central to the 2019 Mayoral race. The African American Coalition of Indianapolis held a debate with Mayor Joe Hogsett and his Republican challenger Jim Merritt Monday night on issues that affect the black community—and prevention of black homicides was a major concern.
