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Public Perception Survey 2010 Summary of Results Central Division
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2010 Public Perception Survey Results (Central) INTRODUCTION This report summarises the key findings for Central division from the 2010 Public Perception survey with comparative figures for the previous year shown in brackets where available1. In addition, the force result, which represents the average of the three divisional results, is included in blue square brackets for benchmarking purposes. For the majority of questions, the figures quoted are based on the ‘valid’ sample i.e. the percentage responding in a particular manner where the ‘don’t know’ responses are not included in the percentage calculation. However, when the proportion of respondents answering ‘don’t know’ to any question expressed out of all base respondents is 10% or more, this is commented on in the narrative. 1296 members of the public were randomly selected from the edited electoral register for Dundee and sent a questionnaire and freepost envelope to complete and return on a voluntary basis. Overall, 292 completed questionnaires were returned thus yielding a response rate of 23% (23%). The achieved response therefore indicates an overall confidence interval2 of approximately +/-5% within this division.
CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD Q. Taking everything into account, how do you rate your neighbourhood as a place to live? (NQ) Very or fairly safe 81% [90%]
A bit or very unsafe 19% [10%]
Eight out of ten respondents, 81%, were satisfied that their neighbourhood within Central division was a safe place to live. This is the first time this question has been included in the Public Perception survey but will continue to be included for the foreseeable future as a means of monitoring public reassurance and feelings of safety in local communities.
Q. Do you think that the amount of crime in your neighbourhood has increased or decreased over the past year*? Decreased a lot or a little 18% (27%) [12%]
Remained the same 43% (45%) [59%]
Increased a lot or a little 39% (28%) [29%]
*It is important to note that for this question, 28% of all base respondents did not know whether crime had increased or decreased over the past year. A statistically significant eleven percentage point increase was noted in the percentage of respondents who felt that crime had increased in their neighbourhood over the past year. This opinion was primarily influenced by ‘talking to people in the area’.
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Due to a number of new questions being included in the 2010 survey, no comparative figures for 2009 are available for these questions. The new questions are denoted by (NQ). 2 This means that we can be 95% confident that if asking the entire relevant population of Central division that between 28% (+5%) and 18% (-5%) of the population would provide the same answer.
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NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Q. What one issue causes you most concern in your neighbourhood? (NQ) Main issue Drug dealing or drug abuse [Dangerous/reckless driving]
nd
2 issue Antisocial behaviour (incl youths causing annoyance) [Same]
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3 issue Dangerous/reckless driving [Drug dealing or drug abuse]
‘Drug dealing or drug abuse’ was deemed the issue which caused most concern to respondents within Central division when asked to specify without prompting. The finding of ‘antisocial behaviour (including youths causing annoyance)’ as an issue within the division correlates with concerns gleaned from local community meetings over the past year where ‘antisocial behaviour’ and ‘youths causing annoyance’ have been recurring themes.
Q. What, in your opinion, are the main factors that contribute most to the level of crime in your area? Main factor No respect for authority (no change) [Same]
nd
2 factor Drugs (No parental control) [No parental control]
rd
3 factor No parental control (Drugs) [Drugs]
Public perceptions of the main factors which contributed most to levels of crime in local neighbourhoods remained fairly consistent over the two years with ‘no respect for authority’ deemed the main factor and nd rd ‘drugs’ and ‘no parental control’ changing position in 2 and 3 .
Q. What type of crimes/offences do you think are most common in your neighbourhood? (NQ) Most common Antisocial behaviour [Same]
nd
rd
2 most common Vandalism/graffiti [Same]
3 most common Drug dealing or drug abuse [Dangerous/reckless driving]
Q. How concerned are you of becoming a victim of crime in your neighbourhood? Not at all concerned or not very concerned 49% (51%) [64%]
Fairly concerned or very concerned 51% (49%) [36%]
Opinions were fairly evenly split in relation to concerns about becoming a victim of crime in local neighbourhoods within Central division, with 49% not concerned and 51% concerned. It is interesting to note the transposition in opinions between the two years whereby in 2010 the majority were concerned about becoming a victim of crime compared to the previous year where the majority were ‘unconcerned’. On a positive note, when disaggregating the results, it was found that a fewer percentage of residents were ‘very concerned’, 11%, compared to 14% in 2009.
Q. What types of crimes/offences are you most concerned about becoming a victim of in your neighbourhood? (NQ) Most concern Housebreaking [Antisocial behaviour]
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2 most concern Antisocial behaviour [Housebreaking]
rd
3 most concern Robbery [Vandalism/graffiti]
Whilst ‘drug dealing or drug abuse’ was deemed to be the one issue which caused most concern to residents in their area when asked unprompted, results differed slightly when asked to specify what type of crime/offence they were most concerned about becoming a victim of whereby ‘housebreaking’ was considered to cause most concern. It is also worth mentioning that ‘robbery’ made its initial appearance in the list of concerns in Central division from quarter 3 in 2010 which interestingly coincided with a fairly sharp rise in recorded robberies in the Dundee area. Divisional results were not available for antisocial behaviour however, at force level the number of recorded antisocial behaviour incidents with ‘disregard for community/personal wellbeing’ was down 2.9% from the previous year with ‘acts directed at people’ down 8.8%
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NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Q. How safe do you feel walking alone in your neighbourhood…? …During the day? Very safe or fairly safe 92% (92%) [96%]
A bit unsafe or very unsafe 8% (7%) [3%]
Do not go out 0% (1%) [1%]
A bit unsafe or very unsafe 43% (38%) [30%]
Do not go out 11% (18%) [9%]
…After dark? Very safe or fairly safe 46% (44%) [61%]
An improvement of two percentage points was recorded between the results for 2010 and 2009 in relation to the percentage of respondents who felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark albeit an increased percentage of respondents compared to the previous year also confirmed that they felt unsafe walking after dark. This can be tempered with the fact that it appeared that the public were more willing to venture out after dark rising from 82% in 2009 to 89% in 2010.
Q. Does a fear of crime ever prevent you from taking part in your everyday activities? Yes 7% (6%) [4%]
No 93% (94%) [96%]
Q. To what extent do you agree that the police, council and partner agencies are dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter in your neighbourhood?* (NQ) Strongly or tend to agree 69% [74%]
Tend to or strongly disagree 31% [26%]
*It is important to note that for the above question, 24% of all base respondents did not know how police and partner agencies were dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime issues in their neighbourhood. This was a new question for the 2010 survey but will be included for the foreseeable future as a means of monitoring not only how the public perceive the police to be dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime issues in local neighbourhoods, but also the council and partner agencies who work in partnership with the police in dealing with these matters.
COMMUNITY POLICING The following community policing questions were new to the 2010 Public Perception survey but the results from these questions will become increasingly more enlightening in the future as the force rolls out its community policing model across the three territorial divisions.
Q. How often do you see a police officer… …Patrolling in your neighbourhood, either on foot or cycling? (NQ) At least once a week
About once a month
20% [17%]
10% [9%]
Less than once a month 21% [19%]
Never 49% [55%]
…Driving around your neighbourhood in a police vehicle? (NQ) At least once a week
About once a month
48% [46%]
17% [17%]
Less than once a month 17% [21%]
Never 18% [16%]
30% of respondents had seen a police officer patrolling in their neighbourhood either on foot or cycling at least once a month, however, this percentage increased considerably with regard to mobile patrols where almost two thirds of respondents had witnessed a police vehicle patrolling in their area.
Q. Thinking about the last time you saw an officer in your neighbourhood, what effect did it have on your confidence in your local police? (NQ) Increased my confidence 33% [27%]
Remained the same 65% [71%]
Reduced my confidence 2% [2%]
It would appear from the results above that for the majority of respondents, seeing a police officer in their neighbourhood had no effect on their confidence in their local police. 3 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Q. Agreement with each statement relating to community policing in your neighbourhood (NQ) I know my community officer by sight
I know my community officer by name
4% [9%]
3% [6%]
I have spoken to a community officer in my neighbourhood 7% [9%]
I know how to contact a community officer if I need to 18% [24%]
Q. How confident are you that your community officers understand the issues that affect your neighbourhood?* (NQ) Very or fairly confident 44% [55%]
Not very or not at all confident 56% [45%]
*It is important to note that 46% of all base respondents for this question did not know how confident they were that community officers understood the issues that affected their neighbourhoods.
SERVICE DELIVERY Q. Results of how important and how well you perceive Tayside Police performs each of the following activities… (NQ) In this section of the survey, respondents were asked to rate a two part question in relation to: (a) how important it was that Tayside Police undertook certain activities and (b) how well Tayside Police performed those activities. The mean (average) was then calculated for both importance and performance for each activity and plotted on a matrix as detailed below:
Priorities for Improvement
Long Term Areas for Improvement
Organisational Strengths
Hidden Opportunities
The above chart indicates that the public’s perception of a number of activities performed by officers in Central division fall within the ‘Organisational Strengths’ quadrant which signifies high importance and high performance. Conversely, the chart also suggests that the greatest disparity between performance and effectiveness exists in the ‘Priorities for Improvement’ quadrant (high importance and low performance). Consequently, this means that ‘providing a visible presence’ and ‘dealing with antisocial behaviour’ are the two areas of policing that the public perceive Tayside Police should improve going forward.
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COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION Q. It is important that the public are consulted about the way the police identify and tackle community issues in your area. How do you think this should be done? (NQ) st
1 choice Local meetings attended by officers [Same]
nd
2 choice Police surgeries [Through community council representatives]
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3 choice Public surveys [Police surgeries]
It is interesting to note the choice of ‘police surgeries’ as a preferred method for the police to consult with the public when historically attendance at such surgeries within divisions has tended to be poor.
Q. Tayside Police provides information in a number of ways. How would you prefer to be kept informed about crime/police related issues in your area if all methods were available to you? (NQ) st
nd
1 choice Local newspapers [Same]
2 choice Local factsheet/newsletter [Same]
rd
3 choice Local television [Information at local shops]
Q. Which sources of police information have you accessed over the past year? (NQ) st
nd
1 choice Newspapers [Same]
2 choice None of the options [Same]
rd
3 choice Tayside Police website [Same]
Q. If you have not accessed any information regarding Tayside Police over the past year, please explain the reason why? (NQ) Had no reason to access information 50% [64%]
Do not know where to find information 19% [12%]
Do not know what information is available 31% [24%]
IMPRESSIONS OF TAYSIDE POLICE Q. Taking everything into account, how good a job do you think Tayside Police is doing? Very good or good 89% (93%) [91%]
Poor or very poor 11% (7%) [9%]
A four percentage point decrease, whilst not statistically significant, was noted between the results for 2010 and 2009 for the percentage of respondents who felt that Tayside Police was doing a good job, 89% and 93% respectively.
WHO TO CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Performance and Planning Department Governance and Development Tayside Police West Bell Street Dundee DD1 9JU Telephone: 01382 596711 Email: performanceandplanning@tayside.pnn.police.uk
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