Justice and safety: What Texas voters are saying
Texas’ justice and safety system remains top of mind for many voters leading into the midterm election.
Here are three takeaways from voters on justice and safety from our 5th Texas Voter Poll
Texans want more officer accountability
What to know: 83% of voters said they’d be more confident in law enforcement if lawmakers made it harder to rehire officers who were once fired for poor conduct. 57% said it would increase their confidence “a lot.”
What this means: 4-in-5 Texans — across party lines and demographics — support the same policy options to increase public confidence in law enforcement.
MORE TO READ: Texas voters agree on key issues ahead midterms
Texas voters support transparency reforms in justice system
The poll reports 79% of voters support improving law enforcement transparency. Voters want legislators to make information available about whether a law enforcement officer was fired for serious misconduct, untruthfulness or insubordination.
Texas Voter Poll: Here’s what our 5th poll revealed
A majority of Texans trust local law enforcement
Why this matters: Most Texas voters trust their local law enforcement to handle issues of public safety and crime, but a third of them don’t, said Luis Soberon, Texas 2036’s policy advisor.
“State lawmakers have opportunities to bolster trust in law enforcement among Texans where it already exists, and build trust among Texans where it doesn’t,” Soberon said.