Poll Finds 6 in 10 Americans Believe Guns Improve Home Safety

More than 60% of Americans say having a gun in the home makes them safer, according to a new Gallup report. That number represents a two-fold increase from 2000, when only 30% of Americans said they felt a gun improved safety.

The responses to the poll diverged greatly along political and geographical lines. Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to say guns made them safer. Nearly 70% of people in the South say that guns make their homes safer, compared with just under 60% in the West and East.

While a majority of people may believe in keeping a gun for safety reasons, only 42% actually do. That figure has been fairly consistent over the last decade.