It seems the recent outbreak of police brutality in the US has taken its toll on the public's trust in those who are technically sworn “to protect and to serve” the American people. A recent survey conducted by ICM Research, exclusively for Sputnik, revealed that less than half of Americans (46%) believe that police officers and sheriffs can be trusted to provide for their safety.
A significant number of the respondents (21%) are more inclined to put their trust in the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms. According to the poll, men are more inclined to take matters related to their personal safety into their own hands than women (29% and 13% respectively).
Ethnic minorities are even less inclined to trust the men and women in blue. Only a third of black respondents (33%) believe that the police keep them safe, but almost a fifth of them (19%) look to the Neighborhood Watch program for protection.
The fire department also gained recognition for its efforts to keep the population safe, with 12% of respondents praising the firefighters.
The survey was conducted by ICM Research and commissioned by Sputnik on December 5-17, 2014. A cross-section of 1,000 people across the United States were polled.
Sputnik.Polls International Public Opinion Research Project
International public opinion research project Sputnik.Polls was launched in 2014, in conjunction with British public opinion survey leaders ICM Research.
Sputnik.Polls conducts regular opinion polls to monitor public sentiment toward social, political and cultural issues in Europe and the United States.
