(NewsNation) — Even as many big cities in the U.S. report some decreases in crime, it’s still a hot-button issue that voters are paying close attention to as we move toward the 2026 midterms.
This Thursday, leaders from the nonpartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors are sitting down to figure out ways to allocate resources to combat crime. A 60-city survey they put out in September reveals that almost 60% of mayors view juvenile crime as a “serious or very serious” problem. Various offenses linked to youth, like grand theft auto, gun violence, retail theft, and public disturbances, topped the list.
Interestingly, a lot of Americans seem to agree on the crime issue, with many favoring one political party over the other in terms of solutions. A fresh Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that voters see Republicans as the better choice for tackling crime, immigration, and international issues. In contrast, Democrats are viewed more positively when it comes to handling matters like environmental policies, women’s rights, and healthcare.
The conference is looking to President Trump for support in the fight against crime, pushing for federal legislation as a potential way forward. However, since his return to office, collaboration between Republican lawmakers and Democrats has been scarce.
In recent months, Trump has mobilized the National Guard to areas such as Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and most recently, Memphis, aiming to combat crime levels. According to the Defense Department, they are seeing a recruitment boom like never before, marking the best performance for National Guard enlistments in three decades. Current total enlistment numbers are approaching 500,000, with 50,000 new recruits signing up in this fiscal year alone. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth even mentioned that this year’s enlistments have surpassed 106% of the department’s goals.
However, the survey indicates that mayors are not particularly keen on relying on the National Guard for crime management. Instead, most voiced a preference for additional support from the FBI. Moreover, mayors highlighted effective strategies like mentoring, violence-intervention programs, sports initiatives, and youth employment programs as valuable solutions to tackle crime escalation.
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