Poll: Respect for Law Enforcement Nears All-Time High

A Gallup poll shows that Americans’ respect for law enforcement has risen to within one point of the all-time record high set in 1967.

According to Gallup, 76 percent of Americans, roughly “three in four,” say they have “a great deal” of respect for officers in their communities.

This high level of respect for police has grown across all demographics–whites as well as non-whites. For example, “Four in five whites” responded with a great deal of respect for law enforcement, and “two in three nonwhites” responded with a great deal of respect, as well.

The white support for police officers is up 11 percent from 2015, and the nonwhite support is up 14 percent.

Gallup has posed the question “nine times since 1965.” The current level of respect at 76 percent is “significantly higher … than in any measurement taken since the 1990s” and is only one point away from the record of 77 percent, set in 1967.

When responses were categorized via political philosophy, conservatives led moderates and liberals in respecting police. However, the increase in respect from liberals jumped 21 percentage points above what it was in 2015. When viewed through the lens of party affiliation, Republicans led Democrats and independents in respect for police.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.