You are reading

Queens Voters Aged 50+ Name Crime As Their Biggest Concern

Queens voters at a recent campaign rally in Woodside. (Photo: Queens Post)

May 19, 2021 By Ryan Songalia

Queens voters aged 50+ view crime as their number one concern, a recent poll found.

An AARP-Siena College poll published Monday found that 67 percent of Queens respondents 50+ named crime as their biggest concern, followed by the availability of affordable housing at 59 percent.

The concern relating to public safety comes at a time when violent crime has jumped significantly across the city, although overall crime has dipped.

The number of murders across the 5 boroughs for the year through May 9 is up 27 percent compared to the same time frame in 2020, from 115 to 146. There has also been an 86 percent increase in shooting incidents and a 69 percent increase in hate crimes compared to the same period last year.

An AARP-Siena poll of active NYC voters 50+ found that respondents from Queens viewed crime as their biggest concern

Overall crime, however, is down 6 percent compared to the same period last year, primarily due to a reduction in non violent crimes.

Poll respondents were asked what they deemed to be “very serious” concerns. While 67 percent of Queens respondents said crime and 59 percent affordability, other serious concerns came to the fore.

Queens respondents 50+ viewed the following as very serious concerns: affordability of living (56 percent); discrimination (53 percent); pedestrian safety (39 percent), ageism (31 percent), safety net social issues (30 percent), suitable transportation (23 percent) and high-speed internet (22 percent) rounding out the poll.

The results tracked with the responses given by voters of the same age group across the city. Across the five boroughs the “serious concerns” were crime (63 percent) coming in first, followed by affordable housing (61 percent), affordability (59 percent) and racial discrimination (53 percent).

In terms of the upcoming mayoral election, poll respondents were asked to weigh in on who they would vote for.

Among Queens voters, Andrew Yang was their first choice at 25 percent. Meanwhile, 15 percent of respondents said that Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was their first choice and 11 percent said City Comptroller Scott Stringer was their top pick. The biggest block of voters were undecided at 27 percent.

An AARP-Siena poll of active NYC voters 50+ found that respondents from across NYC viewed crime as their biggest concern

Older voters are expected to play a pivotal role in the primary elections.

“New Yorkers 50+ are the city’s most reliable voters, accounting for three out of four ballots cast in the last open mayoral primary when only 20 percent of registered voters turned out,” said Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York.

The poll surveyed 811 active voters in New York, including 208 Queens voters, between March 29 and April 8.

Among those polled, 531 were Democrats and 129 were Republicans, with the rest being independents or other party affiliation. The margin of error was +/- 3.8 percent.

An AARP-Siena poll of active NYC voters 50+ found that respondents from across NYC viewed crime as their biggest concern

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

CM Moya announces support for massive Metropolitan Park proposal near Citi Field

Council Member Francisco Moya announced his support for Metropolitan Park, a proposal put forward by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that calls for the construction of a casino and entertainment complex on the parking lot just west of Citi Field.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday afternoon, Moya said that when he was first approached about the project, his main consideration was ensuring that it would meet the needs of his constituents and provide a major boost to the local economy.

Long Island man charged in fatal Flushing hit-and-run that left 81-year-old man dead: NYPD

A Long Island truck driver was arrested on Tuesday and booked at the 109th Precinct in Flushing for a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a Murray Hill senior who was riding an electric bike on Northern Boulevard three months ago.

Kyle Schreiber, 27, of Lincoln Boulevard in Hauppauge, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death of 81-year-old Peter Seo on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 28.

MTA seizes 19 ‘ghost’ cars registered to toll violators at Queens Midtown Tunnel on Monday

Two days before the MTA Board approved the controversial congestion pricing plan for Manhattan on Wednesday, the agency cracked down on persistent toll violators at the Queens Midtown Tunnel in Long Island City.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels seized 19 vehicles registered to persistent scofflaws on Monday and issued 81 summonses and confiscated two fraudulent incense plates. The MTA noted that the scofflaws accounted for approximately $483,000 in combined unpaid tolls and fees. One of the top persistent toll violators from the targeted enforcement owed nearly $76,000 in tolls and fees.