Life in Lancashire Wave 5
| Purpose | This survey focuses on issues relating to crime and safety and about the provision of local information. For the Lancashire Police Authority this survey examines confidence in the Lancashire Constabulary, the image of the Constabulary and effects on that image, and perceptions of crime and safety in the local area. |
|---|---|
| Subject |
Crime and community safety Communications |
| Commissioned by | Corporate Communications Group |
| Geographic area |
All of Lancashire |
|---|---|
| Method |
Questionnaire - postal |
| Consultation with |
Life in Lancashire panel |
| Date | 13/06/2002 - 15/07/2002 |
| Undertaken by | RBA Research Ltd |
Results
| Number in sample | 1589 |
|---|---|
| Number of responses | 1001 |
| Response rate | 62% |
| Key findings | One in eight say something has happened in the previous three months to make them feel unsafe - mostly the presence of gangs on the street, burglaries, drunks in the street and car crime. Nine out of ten say they feel safe walking around during daylight hours - more so in their own neighbourhood than in town. There is a tendency to feel less safe after dark. Overall, although perceptions are that crime and safety aspects have worsened, there is little evidence of this affecting behaviour. Panel members do agree that the Council are working hard with the police and other agencies to prevent and tackle crime, but on balance, they do not feel that positive success is being achieved. The most important measures against crime are protection for vulnerable children, tackling drug misuse, protection for older people, tackling alcohol-related problems, and working with schools to tackle anti-social behaviour. On balance, the views of young people are positive, with most panel members considering young people to be law abiding, responsible and respectful. Nine out of ten panellists accessed some form of information in the past year, most commonly information on health, public transport or local facilities, and opening times. Telephone was the most popular method, along with visits and newspapers for certain types of information. Seven out of ten panel members agree that they feel well informed about local facilities, and that it is easy to find out local information. The telephone is the preferred mode of access for a wide range of information. The most common suggestion for improving the effectiveness of information provision is for free newspapers, newsletters, leaflets or information packs, suggested by one in ten panel members. |
| Outcomes | The results were used to decide priorities and themes for crime and disorder reduction strategies in each of the 12 Lancashire districts. You can find the strategy for each district and details of the work of each partnership at: http://www.saferlancashire.co.uk The results also informed a widescale review of community safety. As a result the County Council has agreed new targets to prevent youth offending, to reduce the rate of youth re-offending and promote more positive images of the majority of young people who do not get into trouble. |
Project document(s)
Report(s)
Contact information
For more information about this research contact:
Melissa Sherliker
01772 535019
Email: haveyoursay@lancashire.gov.uk
Related information
Life in Lancashire members' website:
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/lil/