Public fear of crime is on the rise

A national statistics survey has found that over half of respondents believed that crime had risen in the province in the past two years.

The shock findings, from the Northern Ireland Office's 'Fear Of Crime In Northern Ireland: Findings From The 2001 Northern Ireland Crime Survey', also revealed that only 8% of the 3,000 people surveyed felt that the crime rate had fallen.

Up to 55% of respondents felt that crime had increased in their area in the previous two years, up from 41% in 1998 and 5% higher than the figure for the 2001/02 British Crime Survey. Of the respondents 36% believed that the crime level had not changed, while only 8% thought it had fallen.

From a range of anti-social behaviour categories, one in three respondents identified loitering teenagers (33%) and vandalism/graffiti (32%) as being a significant problem in their area. Over half (54%) of Belfast respondents believed loitering teenagers was a problem, compared with less than a quarter (23%) of those in the west of the province.

The crime types about which most respondents were worried were theft of a car (59%), burglary (54%) and theft from a car (51%).

Out of a selection of crime and personal safety categories, around a quarter of 16-29 year-old respondents were worried about theft of a car (26%), rape (24%) or physical attack (23%). Those aged 60 and over felt most worried about theft of a car (20%), burglary (18%) or walking alone in their area after dark (18%).

Over a quarter thought that they would be a victim of theft of a car (29%) or theft from a car (27%) in the following year. However, fewer than one in ten believed they might be mugged or attacked by a stranger.

Recent victims of crime were around twice as likely as non-victims to believe they might experience either theft of or theft from a car (44%).

(GMcG)