While 48% of respondents agree that police forces should have more access to heavy weapons, 46% believe they should have less. 5% were unsure, and 1% refused to answer.
These figures remain fairly consistent along gender and racial lines – Asian-Americans are the exception, with a whopping 68% in favor of giving police fewer weapons – though there is a slightly noticeable change in regards to respondents’ age. Younger Americans seem to be in favor of fewer weapons, polling at 59%, while that percentage generally decreases as respondents get older.
Opinions remain mostly consistent geographically, as well. Only the Northeastern United States showed a slight (10%) preference in giving police departments fewer weapons.
Police tactics came under intense scrutiny after the response to the Ferguson riots in August. Many accused the presence of military-grade armored vehicles and antiriot gear of antagonizing the crowd and making the situation worse.
In an op-ed for Time Magazine in August, Senator Rand Paul wrote that the government had “incentivized the militarization of local police precincts” and created a “systemic” problem.
