If you have heard the concerns from out-of-towners recently over public safety in San Francisco, you are likely not alone.
A new Gallup poll asked respondents across the country to evaluate whether major US cities were “safe to live in and visit.” When the survey was last conducted in 2006, San Francisco was deemed safe by 70 percent of those surveyed, a number which dropped to 52 percent this year.
While violent crime in the city has decreased, property crime, including burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft, is up since 2006. Housing instability and the drug crisis throughout the city also have a powerful impact on public perception.
Research indicates that partisan affiliations are a significant factor in whether or not someone feels a city is safe.
Gallup found an average difference of about 30 percentage points in how safe Republicans rated cities vs. Democrats, compared to only a two point percentage gap in the 2006 data.
