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Poll: Most Americans say crime is a serious problem

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A majority of Americans say crime is an extremely or very serious problem in the US and many don’t feel safe walking near their home at night, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey found that 55 percent of people in the US are very concerned about crime, about the same level of concern they had in 2011.

Thirty-four percent of Americans say they would be afraid to walk alone at night. Women (44 percent) are more likely than men (24 percent) to say they are afraid.

Individuals on the poorer side of the income distribution are also more likely to be afraid to walk alone in their area at night — including nearly half (48 percent) of those making less than $20,000 per year and 44 percent of those earning between $20,000 and $29,999.

The rate of violent crime in the United States went up fifteen percent last year, a recent government report shows.

The crime rate rose for the second year in a row, marking an end to two decades of declining crime rates.

A survey of victims by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 26 of every 1,000 people experienced violent crime, a fifteen percent increase in reports of rape, robbery or assault.

The figures also show that property crime which involves the taking of money or property like burglary and car theft rose twelve percent.

For 2011, data from the victims’ survey also found an increase in violent crime, up 17 percent from 2010, the sharpest rise in two decades.

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