Crime is the top concern for Louisiana residents for the first time in 20 years, according to an LSU survey released Tuesday.
The Louisiana Survey, conducted by LSU’s Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs, shows that crime is the primary concern for about one-fifth of Louisiana residents, with 80% of those surveyed saying crime has increased over the last few years.
Since 2004, the annual survey has asked participants to name the single most important issue they would like the state government to prioritize. For the first time in the survey’s history, crime ranked first on the list.
Nineteen percent of the people interviewed said crime is the state’s most important issue. In most years, only about six to 10 percent of the respondents have named crime as their top concern.
Four out of five Louisiana residents also said that crime has increased in recent years. This view is common across genders, ages, racial and ethnic identities, education levels, household incomes and political parties.
One-fourth of respondents said they were victims of a property crime within the past year, and 15% of residents reported that they were attacked or threatened with violence.
With crime surging to the first spot on the list of the public’s priorities, the economy and education, which have regularly topped the list, fell to the second and third spots, respectively. Fifteen percent of people named the economy as their top concern, and 10% named education.
Seventy-three percent of people interviewed said the economy is more likely to see widespread unemployment or depression than to see any improvements. And only 8% of people expect good business conditions over the next year.
Confidence in the state government to address these concerns is very low. Only 28% of Louisiana residents said they are either “very confident” or “somewhat confident” in the state government to resolve important issues. Thirty percent are “not at all confident,” and 40% are “not very confident.”.
— By Eliza Stanley, LSU Manship School News Service
