According to BioBioChile, the Plaza Pública Cadem poll for the second week of October shows that 53% of Chileans believe crime has increased over the last six months. The figure is up 13 points from August, when it stood at 40%.
The shift reverses the previous picture. In August, the prevailing view was one of stability. Now, those who believe crime has stayed the same fell from 45% to 37%. Those who perceive a decrease dropped from 13% to 9%.
The perception of violence is also growing. 68% consider crimes to be more violent than in 2025, 14 points more than in August. Only 3% believe they are less violent.
Fear shows a different trend. 70% say they feel a great deal or quite a lot of fear of becoming a crime victim, although the indicator fell three points. Violent robberies, encerronas (vehicle ambushes), portonazos (carjackings at home gates) and home burglaries top the list of concerns.
The question of who is responsible points to La Moneda, the presidential palace. 56% name the Government as the main party responsible for solving crime. They are followed by the courts and judges, at 27%, and the police, at 10%.
The public's diagnosis focuses on organized crime. 78% identify it as the main security problem, including drug trafficking, contract killings, kidnappings and foreign gangs. Only 20% mention common crime. 46% want the Executive to prioritize fighting drug trafficking, and 28% prefer a reform of the justice system.
The results come as President José Antonio Kast's administration tries to advance its security agenda. Several measures have broad support. 91% support barring people convicted of organized crime from running for elected office. 85% back giving Gendarmería, Chile's prison service, more powers to separate high-risk inmates.
Support drops for the more controversial proposals. 70% agree with placing organized crime on the same footing as terrorism. 54% support allowing the President to declare preventive states of exception in response to security threats.
For the Government, the political takeaway is complicated. The public supports its proposals, but assigns it the main responsibility for a problem it sees as worsening. The poll does not specify which particular events explain the jump in perception.
The survey puts Kast's approval at 32%, against 65% disapproval. Cadem conducted the poll online on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, among 1,010 people aged over 18 in 180 comunas (municipalities), using non-probability quota sampling.
