Nottingham’s 2014 Respect survey has found that people in Nottingham feel safer than ever[1], with perceptions of anti-social behaviour (ASB) at a record low.[2]
The survey, commissioned by the Nottingham Crime & Drugs Partnership and carried out by Information by Design, is undertaken annually to find out the views and opinions of local people about anti-social behaviour, crime, community safety and the partnership between the Police and Council.
Taking into account findings from the city centre, local neighbourhoods and various wards, overall results show that satisfaction levels with the Police and Council are at an all time high at over 66%[3]. For the first time, a majority of people feel safe in the city centre at night time[4] and perceptions of cleanliness are at a record high[5].
These results are echoed in the findings of the 2014 Nottingham Citizens’ Survey[6], which found that 75% of people are satisfied with the cleanliness of their local area and 87% of respondents are very or fairly satisfied with the way the Council runs things.
The latest statistics from the Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) also highlight decreases in all major crime types, with violence seeing a 23% fall and a 16% decrease in estimated crimes against households and resident adults, the lowest estimate since the survey began in 1981[7] ”
The Respect survey’s results will be used to prioritise investment and services, to address what drives anti-social behaviour in the city centre and local neighbourhoods. The strength of the results highlights the effective interventions made by Community Protection, the Police and the city’s housing providers.
Councillor Jon Collins, City Council Leader, said: “These results reflect the huge effort we’re making to help all citizens continue to feel safe and secure in Nottingham. I’m really pleased with the outcomes of the latest Respect and Citizens’ surveys, and proud that they echo the national picture”.
Richard Antcliff, Chief ASB Officer, said “Community Protection and partners have made a massive contribution to this agenda. Our officers will continue to tackle issues that concern our citizens, ensuring our communities are safer and cleaner.”
Jeff Allen, chairman of the Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID), said “We are delighted about the findings of the survey. Having a safer, cleaner city is good for everyone and the BID recognises this in its partnership working with the Council and the Police, delivering a range of initiatives to improve cleanliness and safety.”
[1] Citizens who feel ‘safe in their own neighbourhood after dark’ has reached a record high of 71% up from 68.5% in 2013. This is up 6.6% since 2011.
[2] The proportion of those surveyed who have a ‘high perception of ASB’ has reduced to 5.8%, down from 7.2% in 2013 and down from 9.1% in 2011. References to ‘record high’ readings refer to the life of the surveys which have been commissioned by the Crime & Drugs Partnership annually since 2011.
[3] The proportion of respondents that agree that the Police and Council are doing a good job to tackle ASB has increased to a high of 66.1%, up from 62.9% in 2013.
[4] Citizens reporting feeling ‘very or fairly safe in the City Centre after dark’ have reached 54.8%, up from 48.4% in 2013 and increased from 45.1% in 2011.
[5] Respondents report improved perceptions of all cleanliness indexes in neighbourhoods, with litter (down 7.5%) and dog fouling (down 6.9%) showing the greatest improvements, although these remain the greatest areas of concern (at 24% and 26% respectively citing them as neighbourhood problems). Neighbourhood fly-tipping has registered improvement by 1.9%. The proportion of citizens who are ‘very or fairly satisfied with the Council’s efforts to keep neighbourhoods clean’ has increased to its highest recorded level since 2011 to 81.5% up from 79.4% in 2013.
[6] The Citizens’ Survey 2014 gathers citizens’ perceptions on a variety of subjects including quality of life, health and wellbeing, community cohesion, feelings about Nottingham and satisfaction with the Council. 2,107 Nottingham citizens took part in the survey during October and November 2014.
[7] Latest figures from the CSEW show that, for the offences it covers, there were an estimated 7.1 million incidents of crime against households and resident adults (aged 16 and over) in England and Wales for the year ending June 2014. This represents a 16% decrease compared with the previous year’s survey, and is the lowest estimate since the survey began in 1981.