New York voters are in favor of changing the state’s controversial bail reform laws to give judges more discretion in setting bail, despite little enthusiasm among lawmakers for the change, according to a new poll released Tuesday. Tuesday.
Some 65% of voters in a new poll of Siena College they said they supported toughening bail laws, and a majority or plurality of every demographic group in the poll agreed.
The groundswell of support comes amid a growing crime problem in New York, which is increasingly worrying voters. The majority of respondents, including more than 70% in New York City, said they were very or somewhat concerned about being a personal victim of crime.
Serious crime in New York City is up more than 40% this year, and two key policy initiatives by Mayor Eric Adams, one on gun violence and one on subway safety, are in their infancy.
The mayor went to Albany this month and advocated for better bail reform, but found no receptive audience, leaving little short-term hope for changes to the system.
But Adams still gets good marks despite the crisis, with 58% of New York voters having a favorable opinion of him. Among a dozen political leaders in the survey, only President Joe Biden rates higher in the city.
The online and telephone poll of 803 registered voters was conducted Feb. 14-17 and has a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.
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