It seems Canadians are feeling less safe than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

An online survey from Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies asked people if the level of crime and violence in their communities has changed in the last few years.

Sixty-five per cent of those polled said things are worse, while 25 percent said it has not changed and two percent said things are a little better but the remaining eight per cent said they don’t know.

More than half of respondents said they think law enforcement and their city or municipality are doing a good job addressing the issue of public safety.

Only 39 per cent said the same about their provincial government, and 33 per cent of the federal government.

In terms of solutions, the overwhelming majority of Canadians polled called for tougher penalties for those convicted of violent crimes and action to address the housing crisis.