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Siena Survey: More New Yorkers Say Race Relations Are Only Fair Or Poor

siena.edu

A new survey released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day by Siena College shows that two-thirds of the state residents polled feel that race relations in New York State are only fair or poor. Those numbers got worse compared to last year, when 51 percent of New Yorkers felt the same way.

“Clearly, events over the last several months, particularly Ferguson and Staten Island, have had a significant impact on how many New Yorkers feel about race relations,” Siena pollster Steve Greenberg said.
 
“Last year, two thirds of black voters and about half of white and Latino voters thought race
relations were only fair or poor. Today, between 65 and 74 percent of black, white and Latino voters say race relations are fair or poor, as do between 64 and 68 percent of Democrats, Republicans and independents," Greenberg said.
 
A majority of New York state residents also believe the Staten Island grand jury should have indicted the police officer in the death of Eric Garner, although Greenberg says that belief is down a little from last month.
 
The survey does show that by a strong margin, 81 to 16 percent, state voters have a favorable view of their local police department.
 

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.