HARRISBURG, Pa. — Safety and security are top of mind for American families as the election draws near.
"It’s a difficult issue," said Dr. Alison Dagnes, chair of the political science department at Shippensburg University. "It’s a very personal issue I think for many Americans."
One presidential candidate has long focused his "tough on crime" approach on issues at the southern border, using anecdotal evidence to suggest America is under attack.
"Former President Trump‘s entire campaign is really about strength and sort of a masculine power," Dagnes explained. "That extends from his immigration stand, through crime."
Recent data from the FBI paints a different picture of criminality in America, showing violent crime dropped 3% from 2022 to 2023, while murders and non-negligent manslaughter dropped 12%.
“I’m hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or law enforcement officer,” Trump said during a campaign stop in Arizona.
"He wants to emphasize that message because it helps support his contention that America is a better place when he was leading it than it is now," said Berwood Yost, director of the Franklin & Marshall College Center for Opinion Research.
Trump promised to take on drug cartels if elected, placing them on a list of foreign terrorist organizations and has proposed the death penalty for human traffickers.
"We have not really heard very many specific policies from the Trump campaign about changes that he would make in terms of crime, but we do know that his stand of I promise I’ll be tougher is something that resonates with a lot of his supporters," Dagnes said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has touted her legal knowledge on the campaign trail.
“My entire career I’ve only had one client: the people,” Harris said during her speech at the Democratic National Convention.
"Vice President Harris served as a prosecutor in California where she was accused of being too harsh and she was accused of being too much of a prosecutor," Dagnes said.
"I think emphasizing her past efforts at convicting and trying criminals, I think that’s been strong for her," Yost added.
Harris has touted the Biden administration's investments in law enforcement, promising to address gun violence in the U.S. and take on drug trafficking.
"She has been fairly vague when it comes to the specific proposals that she wants to enact if she’s elected president in the area of crime and of criminal justice," Dagnes said.
Election day is Nov. 5.
Visit the FOX43 Election Guide to find out everything you need to know before casting your ballot.