Poll: Town Hall Meetings Still Popular Even After Shooting

The Arizona shooting tragedy hasn’t made Americans reject town hall meetings with their congressmen, but most voters would like to see a police presence at these events, according to a new poll from The Hill.

The survey shows that 91 percent of voters think it’s “very important” or “somewhat important” that members of Congress continue to appear at public meetings with constituents despite the Jan. 8 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and 18 others in Tucson. But 60 percent want police to attend the gatherings too.

“The poll findings are an indication that, while the tragedy has done little to whet Congress’s appetite for tighter gun controls, it has made the public hungry for more security at such events,” The Hill states. “Just 28 percent of respondents said police should not appear at lawmakers’ constituent events — less than half the number supporting the enhanced security.”