Who better handles crime, the National Guard or local police? What a poll found

More Americans than not believe local police are better suited for addressing crime in their cities than the National Guard, according to a new YouGov survey. And a slight plurality say they oppose deploying the National Guard to major U.S. cities.

This finding comes after President Donald Trump ordered National Guard troops to the nation’s capital and federalized the Metropolitan Police Department in early August in an attempt to crack down on crime.

“Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today,” he wrote in an Aug. 11 post on Truth Social. “Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump — who previously dispatched the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to protests — has threatened to use similar law enforcement tactics in cities like Chicago and Baltimore.

Critics, meanwhile, have denounced the president’s move as a political stunt and a power grab, citing the capital’s falling violent crime rate.

Here is a breakdown of the poll’s findings.

National Guard or police?

The survey — conducted Aug. 25-26 with 5,571 U.S. adults — asked respondents whether the National Guard or local police departments would generally be better at addressing crime in big cities.

A large plurality, 46%, said police departments would be better, while 7% said the National Guard would be superior. An additional 31% said both equally, and 16% said they didn’t know.

On this question, a significant partisan divide emerged. Most Democrats, 68%, said local police would be better equipped to handle crime, while 53% of Republicans rated police and the National Guard as equally capable.

Responses shifted slightly when respondents were asked not about big cities but about their own neighborhoods.

A majority, 61%, said their local police department would be better at addressing crime in their area, while just 6% selected the National Guard. Twenty percent said both equally and 13% said they were not sure.

Deploying the National Guard?

The survey — which has a margin of error of 1.5 percentage points — also asked respondents if they support or oppose deploying the National Guard to major U.S. cities.

A 46% plurality said they are strongly (36%) or somewhat opposed (10%), while a slightly smaller share said they are strongly (22%) or somewhat in favor (18%).

Here, again, a massive partisan divide emerged, with 78% of Republicans in favor and 75% of Democrats opposed to deploying the National Guard to U.S. cities. A plurality of independents, 48%, said they were opposed.

Support for National Guard deployment became weaker when respondents were asked about their own communities.

A majority, 52%, said they would oppose having the National Guard sent to their area, while 33% said they would be in favor of this.

This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Who better handles crime, the National Guard or local police? What a poll found."