40% of Americans are afraid to walk alone at night — most in decades, poll says

Concerns about certain crimes are at their highest levels in decades, causing Americans to isolate themselves from their communities, according to new polling. The spike in fear comes as violent crime has decreased nationwide, while property crime has ticked up, according to the FBI. A recent Gallup poll found that 28% of Americans worry frequently or occasionally that they will be murdered, according to a Nov. 16 news release. That’s a near-record high. The Gallup poll surveyed 1,009 adults between Oct. 2 and Oct. 23, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Meanwhile, ...