People support removing the protection that prohibits police from being sued by a two-to-one margin, according to a Pew Research poll released Thursday.
Sixty-six percent of those surveyed agreed that the concept of “qualified immunity” should end, while only 32% said it should remain, Pew said.
The poll did not specify a margin of error nor the demographic or ideological weighting of the sample of 4,708 adults surveyed from June 16 to June 22.
The poll showed whites supported eliminating qualified immunity 60% to 38% while blacks favored the ability to sue police 86-11.
Republicans were against the idea 53-45 while Democrats supported 84-14.
The same poll showed that 73% favored keeping funding for police constant or increasing it, while 26% backed reducing funding. Only 42% of black adults thought spending on policing in their areas should be reduced.
That was still double the 21% of white adults who favor cutting funding for their local police.The poll was taken about the same time Democrats in the U.S. Senate blocked a police reform bill which did not include a provision to end qualified immunity.
The bill followed protests and riots in the wake of the death of a Black man, George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. Among the demands of protesters were to “defund” or “disband” police departments.
Overall, 58% of Americans say police do an excellent or good job of protecting society from crimes, including 78% of Republicans and Republican leaners but only 43% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.
Sixty-seven percent of white adults believed police do a good or excellent job, while just 28% of black adults say the same.
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