When it comes to crime, people’s sense of safety is heavily influenced by their local experiences. While aggregate fear of crime may decline nationally, in particular places high rates of violent and property crimes persist. As a result, people living in these places often remain highly concerned about their safety even in the face of declining crime overall.

The most common place Americans get news about local crime is from their local TV news outlets (70% say they do this often or sometimes). But they also turn to other sources such as social media (45%), locally focused apps (41%), and friends, family and neighbors (36%). Virtually identical shares of Democrats and Republicans and those who lean toward either party get local crime news from each of these sources and are satisfied with it. But those who get news about local crime from more social or locally-focused sources are more likely to say the information exaggerates the amount of crime in their communities and is unfair to some residents based on their race or ethnicity.

While Americans want a range of information about local crime, they are most interested in details about specific crimes and tips on how to stay safe from them. They are also at least somewhat interested in learning about broader patterns of local crime, but they do not find it easy to stay informed on this.