Meg Anderson

And that makes sense.

The U.S.

has seen large drops in crime rates this year in nearly every category, including homicides, motor vehicle thefts, and burglaries.

The reality of crime rates don't always align with whether people feel safe.

According to Gallup, those beliefs are also influenced by political preferences.

For instance, even though crime was also falling last year, Republicans only became less concerned about it this year when President Trump took office.

And the reverse is true for Democrats, although to a lesser extent.

Meg Anderson, NPR News.

300 of those new officers would serve in park space and at urban monuments in three cities, Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco.

Another 200 would be stationed in national parks across the country.

The hiring push comes amid a staffing crisis at the National Park Service.

Since Trump took office in January, the service has lost a quarter of its permanent staff, many due to cuts.

But the push also comes at a time when federal police forces are struggling to find people willing to join their ranks.

That's in part because many federal officers have been deputized to enforce the administration's controversial immigration tactics, including the U.S.

Park Police.

In the face of that, the National Park Service is offering a $70,000 hiring bonus.

Meg Anderson, NPR News.

The grant cancellations affected initiatives like school violence programs, training for police officers, and resources for domestic violence victims.

Amy Solomon, a former DOJ official, says the cuts were unprecedented.

Most of the groups NPR spoke with have had to lay off employees, dip into reserve funds, or shrink the services they offer.