(NewsNation) — If you are terrified to walk alone at night, even in your own neighborhood, you’re not alone. A new Gallup poll revealed Americans’ fear for their personal safety is at a 30-year high.
About 40% of poll respondents said they are afraid to walk alone at night within a mile of their home, and 63% say the crime problem in the U.S. is extremely or very serious.
The last time the level of concern over crime was this high was back in 1993, which Gallup points out was during “one of the worst crime waves” in U.S. history.
For the last 30 years, the percentage of Americans who said they feared walking alone at night hovered around 35%. Now, that number has jumped to 40%.
More than 53% of women said they don’t feel safe walking at night compared to 26% of men.
Gallup has been asking this specific question to gauge how safe Americans feel since 1965. The record high was 48% back in January 1982, when the crime rate and murder rates were making headlines in New York City.
The poll revealed that Americans actually felt the safest in October 2020, during the first year of the pandemic with many people practicing social distancing at the time. However, those responses jumped back to pre-pandemic levels by 2021.
Respondents feel as though America’s serious crime problem has only gotten worse over the past year.
Crime concerns tend to be higher among lower-income households compared to those earning over $40,000, according to poll data.
It’s also higher among those who live in cities compared to those who live in the suburbs or rural areas.
Security consultant Patrick McCall said it’s always best for people to remember this basic advice to feel better if they’re walking alone: “Be alert. Be aware of your surroundings.”
He continued, “Reduce or eliminate any vulnerabilities, anything that could make you an easy target. I tell clients all the time not to walk and text, be aware. A lot of times the bad guys are looking for that easy target.”