The majority of likely voters support reforming police departments, but only a minority indicated support for the “defund the police” movement, according to a Morning Consult poll released Wednesday.
The poll, conducted June 12 through June 14, found that a combined 59% of respondents say police departments need to be significantly reformed, with 22% preferring their complete restructuring and 37% preferring they adopt only minor reforms. Only 5% of those surveyed said police departments need no police reform, Politico reported.
Despite majority support for nationwide police reforms, most Americans do not support the movement to “defund the police.”
“While nearly 60% agree police departments are in need of major reforms, voters remain skeptical of the ‘Defund the Police’ movement,” said Kyle Dropp, the co-founder of Morning Consult.
The poll asked voters whether they support or oppose the movement to “defund the police.” A total of 58% stated their opposition, with 43% stating that they are “strongly opposed,” according to the poll. Only 13% said they strongly support the defund the police movement, and 15% said they somewhat supported the movement.
The slogan has caught on amid widespread protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, who was killed after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, video of the incident shows.
People walk past an electronic sign with an image of George Floyd near Centennial Olympic Park on June 14, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. Rayshard Brooks, 27, was shot and killed on June 12th by police in a struggle following a field sobriety test at the Wendy’s. (Dustin Chambers/Getty Images)
Among Democrats, 80% said that they believed police departments need to be completely redone, compared to only 33% of Republicans the poll shows.
The “Defund the Police” movement is supported by 48% of Democrats, 26% of independents and 11% of Republicans, according to the poll. (RELATED: Democratic Rep Karen Bass: ‘Defund The Police Is Probably One Of The Worst Slogans Ever)
In addition to the poll’s numbers regarding police reform, it also shows President Donald Trump’s support at 40%, a slight tick upward from last week’s Morning Consult poll that had him 39% approval. A majority of voters at 57% disapprove of the job Trump is doing. The poll surveyed 1,987 likely voters and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
Andrew Trunsky contributed to this report.
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