Crime & Confidence Survey 2020 On behalf of Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office

Prepared by

Wellington House, 108 Beverley Road, Kingston-Upon-Hull, HU3 1YA Tel: (01482) 211200 Email: [email protected]

Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION ...... 3 1.1 Background ...... 3 1.2 Report Structure ...... 3 1.3 Acknowledgements ...... 3

2.0 SAMPLE / METHODOLOGY ...... 4

3.0 FINDINGS ...... 6 3.1 Summary ...... 6 3.2 Perceptions of Policing And Crime ...... 7 3.3 Response to the Pandemic ...... 20 3.4 Policing Priorities ...... 25

4.0 APPENDICES ...... 28 4.1 Survey ...... 28

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1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire was keen to seek the views of local residents to help to inform the priorities in his Police and Crime Plan, which sets the strategic direction for policing in Lancashire, as well as getting a clear picture on local priorities and to ascertain how safe residents of Lancashire feel where they live.

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office commissioned Social and Market Strategic Research Ltd, an independent research company to undertake the consultation to achieve the aims and objectives mentioned above.

1.2 Report Structure

All questions have been analysed by demographic groupings and any difference in opinion are commented on throughout the report.

It should be noted that when the results are discussed within the report, often percentages will be rounded up or down to the nearest one per cent. Therefore, occasionally figures may add up to 101% or 99%.

1.3 Acknowledgements

SMSR would like to thank the 4,611 Lancashire residents who took part in the consultation. We would also like to thank Kathrin Slater for her help in conducting this research and the regular input and interest in the overall process.

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2.0 Sample / Methodology

An interviewer led, telephone questionnaire was designed by SMSR in conjunction with staff from Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office. Telephone Interviews were conducted using quota sampling to ensure the sample was representative. Quotas for age, gender and ethnicity were set using the 2017 mid-census figures and the sample included representation from each of the policing districts. A second survey was designed for self- completion and hosted online. Fieldwork took place between 30th July and 6th September 2020.

The geographic and demographic breakdown of all respondents was as follows: Percentage of Gender Number sample Male 1,918 42%

Female 2,587 56%

Prefer to self-identify 8 0%

Prefer not to say 96 2%

Percentage of Age Number sample 16 to 24 215 5%

25 to 34 361 8%

35 to 44 585 13%

45 to 54 682 15%

55 to 64 1,074 23%

65 to 74 1,095 24%

75 or above 455 10%

Prefer not to say 144 3%

Percentage of Method Number sample Online 3,211 70% Telephone 1,400 30%

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Percentage of Ethnic Group Number sample White 4,256 92% BAME 145 3% Prefer not to so say 210 5%

Percentage of Disability Number sample Yes 836 18% No 3,542 77% Prefer not to so say 233 5%

Percentage of District Number sample with 421 9%

Blackpool 320 7%

Burnley 301 7%

Chorley 354 8%

Fylde 315 7%

Hyndburn 274 6%

Lancaster 344 7%

Pendle 306 7%

Preston 470 7%

Ribble Valley 250 5%

Rossendale 310 7%

South Ribble 297 6%

West Lancs 283 6%

Wyre 312 7%

Prefer not to say 54 1%

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3.0 Findings

3.1 Summary

Around two-thirds of residents (65%) felt safe in the area where they live, with over a quarter (27%) that felt very safe. Less than a tenth (9%) stated they felt unsafe in their area. Further to this around three-fifths (59%) felt confident that Lancashire would be there for them if they needed them, however, a notable proportion (38%) were not confident the police would be there for them.

In terms of what residents deemed to be a priority for Lancashire Constabulary to concentrate on, investigating serious crime (94%) was seen as the most important issue followed by tackling child abuse and sexual exploitation (88%), combatting terrorism and extremism (79%) and tackling domestic abuse and violence (72%).

With regards to how well Lancashire Constabulary responded to the additional challenges posed by the recent pandemic over half (55%) felt they had responded well with only 17% that felt they had not responded well. Around three-tenths (29%) were not sure how well the Constabulary had responded to the challenges faced as a result of the pandemic.

Social media (62%) was seen as the most popular method to be kept informed about policing in their area, followed by the ‘In the Know’ community messaging system (43%). Around a quarter stated they would like to be kept informed about policing via the police website (25%) or via the TV (23%).

Just over a tenth (13%) said they had been a victim of crime in Lancashire over the last year.

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3.2 Perceptions of Policing And Crime

Using a scale of 1-5 where 1 is very unsafe and 5 is very safe, how safe do you feel where you live? 3%

6% 27% 65% 26% Safe (4 & 5)

38%

1 - very unsafe 2 3 4 5 - very safe

When asked how safe they felt in their own area around two-thirds (65%) gave a score of 4 or 5 indicating that they felt safe where they live. Just over a quarter (27%) stated they felt very safe in their local area.

Less than a tenth (9%) gave a score of either 1 or 2 out of 5 indicating that they felt unsafe in their area. A quarter (26%) scored their feeling of safety as a 3 suggested that they neither felt safe or unsafe where they live.

Safe (4 & 5) by Demographics 84%

75% 70% 69% 67% 68% 65% 65% 66% 66% 62% 58% 57%

55%

No

Yes

Male

BAME

White

Online

Female

16 to 16 24 to 25 34 to 35 44 to 45 54 to 55 64 Telephone 65 or 65 above

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Respondents with a disability (55%) were least likely to have said they felt safe in their local area. They were more than a tenth less inclined to have said they felt safe when compared to those without a disability (69%). Those who completed a survey over the phone (84%) were the most inclined to indicate a feeling of safety in their area, whereas those who completed the survey online indicated lower levels of safety (57%).

Respondents aged 45 to 54 (62%) were less likely to feel safe in their locality compared to other age groups, with respondents at either end of the age scale felt safest in their area as three-quarters (75%) of those aged 16 to 24 and 70% of those aged 65 or above indicated a feeling a safety where they live.

Safe (4 & 5) by Area 86% Fylde 78% Wyre 76% Lancaster 75% 73% 71% West Lancs 71% Rossendale 61% 60% 56% Pendle 56% Hyndburn 55% Preston 55% 53%

Those living in Ribble Valley (86%) felt the safest in the area they live, with respondents in Fylde (78%), Wyre (76%) and Lancaster (75%) all indicating feelings of safety above three- quarters. Those living in Blackpool (53%) were the least likely to feel safe where they live with feelings of safety also being lower in Preston (55%), Hyndburn (55%), Pendle (56%) and Burnley (56%).

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Using a scale of 1-5 where 1 is very unsafe and 5 is 2019 2020 very safe, how safe do you feel where you live? 1 - very unsafe 5% 3% 2 12% 6% 3 31% 26% 4 36% 38% 5 - very safe 16% 27% Net Unsafe (1 & 2) 18% 9% Net Safe (4 & 5) 51% 65%

There has been a decrease in those that felt unsafe where they live when compared to 2019, with those feeling unsafe dropping from 18% in 2019 to 9% in 2020. Those feeling safe where they leave has also increase, rising from 51% in 2019 to 65% in 2020, with a tenth more saying they felt very safe where they live (16% in 2019, 27% in 2020).

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How confident are you that Lancashire Police will be there when you need them? 3%

13% 17% 59% 25% Confident

41%

Very confident Fairly confident Not very confident Not at all confident Don't know

Around three-fifths (59%) were confident that Lancashire Police will be there when they are needed, with 17% very confident and 41% fairly confident. Just under two-thirds (38%) were not confident in Lancashire Police being there for them when needed; 25% were not very confident and 13% were not at all confident.

Confident by Demographics 82% 77% 72% 67% 63% 63% 62% 59% 60% 55% 52% 54% 53%

49%

No

Yes

Male

BAME

White

Online

Female

16 to 16 24 to 25 34 to 35 44 to 45 54 to 55 64

Telephone 65 or 65 above Gender Age Ethnic Group Disability Method

Female respondents (63%) had more confidence when compared with male respondents (55%) that Lancashire Police would be there if they needed them. Those without a disability (62%) were also around a tenth more confident than those with a disability (53%).

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Younger respondents displayed higher levels of confidence that Lancashire Police would be there when needed, with 77% of those aged 16 to 24, 72% of those aged 25 to 34 and 67% of those aged 35 to 44 that said they had confidence in the police. Those aged 45 to 54 (52%) and 55 to 64 (54%) indicated lower levels of confidence.

Less than half of those that completed the survey online (49%) had confidence in Lancashire Police being there if they needed them, a third lower than those that completed the survey over the telephone (82%).

Confident by Area

South Ribble 71%

Ribble Valley 70%

Lancaster 68%

Wyre 66%

Burnley 63%

Chorley 61%

Blackpool 60%

West Lancs 58%

Pendle 56%

Blackburn with Darwen 56%

Fylde 54%

Hyndburn 54%

Preston 52%

Rossendale 48%

Rossendale was the only area were less than half (48%) were confident that Lancashire Police would be there for them when they needed them, however, confidence was only slightly higher in Preston (52%), Hyndburn (54%) and Fylde (54%). By comparison more than two- thirds of those from Lancaster (68%), Ribble Valley (70%) and South Ribble (71%) were confident that, if needed, Lancashire Police would be there for them.

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How confident are you that Lancashire Police will be 2019 2020 there when you need them? Very confident 6% 17% Fairly confident 24% 41% Not very confident 41% 25% Not at all confident 17% 13% Don’t know 12% 3% Net not confident 57% 38% Net confident 31% 59%

Those that felt confident that Lancashire Police would be there for them when they needed them has almost doubled from 31% in 2019 to 59% in 2020. There was an increase of around a tenth that stated they were very confident (6% in 2019, 17% in 2020) as well as an increase in those that stated they were fairly confident (24% in 2019, 41% in 2020).

Compared to 2019 there was a notable drop in those that said they were not confident. In 2019 over half (57%) stated they were not confident that Lancashire Police would be there when needed, this dropped by almost a fifth in 2020 with only 38% that were not confident.

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How would you like to be kept informed about policing in your area?

Social media 62%

In the Know 43%

Police website 25%

TV 23%

Newspaper 15%

Local events 13%

Radio 13%

Other 7%

Around three-fifths (62%) said they would like to be kept informed about policing in their area via social media with around two-fifths (43%) said they would be like to be kept informed by using ‘In the Know’. Around a quarter said they would like to be kept informed about policing by either the police website (25%) or TV (23%) with over a tenth that stated newspaper (15%), local events (13%) and Radio (13%).

Younger respondents tended to be more in favour of using social media to be kept informed about policing in their area, with this generally declining in preference with the older respondents, with 89% of those aged 16 to 24 in favour of using social media for this purpose compared to only 43% of those aged 65 or above. Conversely, older respondents (those aged 45 and above) tended to be more in favour of accessing information through ‘In the Know’ than younger respondents with only 17% of those aged 16 to 24 that said they would use this method.

Females (66%) and BAME respondents (72%) were a tenth more likely when compared to male (56%) and white respondents (62%) to have said they would like to be kept informed about policing by social media.

Only 5% of respondents that completed the survey over the phone said they would prefer to use the ‘In the Know’ messaging system, significantly lower than those that completed the survey online (59%).

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How would you like to be kept informed about 2019 2020 policing in your area? Social media 72% 62% In the Know 26% 43% Police website 35% 25% TV - 23% Newspaper - 15% Local events 28% 13% Radio - 13% Other 9% 7% Local media 51% -

Social media has remained the most popular method to keep informed about policing (62%) although those stating this option have declined by a tenth since 2019 (72%). In the Know has become a more popular medium to receive information on, with those happy to use it increasing from 26% in 2019 to 43% in 2020. Those that stated they would like to be kept informed via the police website has declined over the past year, dropping from 35% in 2019 to 25% in 2020.

In 2019, local media was seen as the second most popular method to be kept informed about policing in the area with just over half (51%) stating this option, however, in 2020 this option was not provided and was instead split up into TV (23%), newspapers (15%) and radio (13%), which suggests a similar proportion would like to be kept informed through the local media in 2020 as they did in 2019.

Those stating local events as a way to keep informed about local policing has halved from 2019 (28%) to 2020 (13%), although this could be as a result of the pandemic with less respondents choosing this option due to less local events being currently held.

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Respondents were asked what they felt Lancashire Police do well. The most frequently mentioned theme was that the communication from the constabulary was good as well as the visibility of the police and their ability to respond to emergencies in a timely manner. Other aspects that were mentioned was that the police were doing well at maintaining public safety, tackling drug issues and having a friendly and positive attitude.

Below are some of the comments made by respondents that represent some of the key themes that emerged as well as a word cloud highlighting frequently mentioned issues:

“I would say that Lancashire Police do very “I think officers are generally friendly and well at responding to emergencies and they approachable. Recent footage of how things are very welcoming when you see them on are done in the United States, demonstrate the streets, they make you feel safe just by what a wonderful police service we have in being there. If you had a problem and this country. People should be proud and needed them they are always happy to support the police and I think most of the help.” general public do.” Female, 16 to 24, Blackburn Male, 55 to 64, Preston

“In my opinion the police are doing a great “The Police deal with everything well and nothing seems too much of a challenge to job in everything they do despite constant

them.” criticism and funding cuts. I believe being a

Male, 25 to 34, Wyre police officer is a very hard job and they do it to the best of their ability, therefore I would say that the police do everything well.” “Lancashire Police are really good at Female, 55 to 64, Fylde spreading information about what they are doing.” Male, 16 to 24, South Ribble “The police personnel I have met have all been very helpful, informative and “There is a clear, calm presence in the area, dedicated to their job.” and more widely in the county. Whenever I Female, 55 to 64, Rossendale have had direct dealings with officers they have been excellent - polite, clear, firm, helpful, and human - even when they were “In my opinion Lancashire Police are doing a

unable to solve the problem. I think the very good job with everything they do. I

Instagram presence for Lancashire have lots of admiration for the police as they Constabulary is well-managed, which does are good at risking their own safety to help to give me a good impression of the protect the public, as a result I have a lot of force.” respect for the police.” Female, 35 to 44, Lancaster Male, 75 or above, Fylde

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“They are good at keeping up with social “In my opinion Lancashire Police media to keep people informed. The communicate with residents very well, they Lancashire police dogs Facebook page is do this in a friendly and respectful manner. particularly good as it reports what has Lancashire Police have ensured elderly been occurring in the area with a large people are safe whilst the country has been amount of humour.” in lockdown. Lancashire Police are also very Male, 45 to 54, South Ribble approachable and solve any issues that are put forward to them.” Female, 65 to 74, Fylde

Respondents were also asked if there was anything they felt Lancashire Police could do better. The most commonly mentioned themes were that there is a lack of police or a police presence and there needs to be more police officers and an increased visibility with more officers on patrol. Also linked to this, but mentioned less frequently, was the need to reopen community police stations and increase the levels of community engagement.

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Other themes that respondents mentioned included the need to respond and deal with minor crime and ASB as well as improve response times to incidents, improve communication with the public and tackle drug problems.

Below are some of the comments made by respondents that represent some of the key themes that emerged:

“Better response times, and again that is “More resources are required. I called 999

more down to the police not having the earlier this month and had to wait 23

resources and personnel required to meet minutes for the arrival of the first response

the needs of Lancashire as a whole.” that was immediately mobilised during the Female, 65 to 74, Blackburn initial moments of the call. This is because there were no resources in the area.” Male, 35 to 44, Ribble Valley

“I would like to see a bigger presence from them but I know they are already very

stretched.” “They need to sort out drug dealers in town Female, 25 to 34, Burnley centre areas. The whole PR1 area needs sorting. Everyone knows about dealers and

nothing is done. I’m not saying the police

don’t do their job, but I think they should “Have more police stations throughout focus a little bit more on the problem. As a Rossendale as we only have one Station and young woman I am scared to go out at a few officers. Respond to other crimes such night.” as anti-social behaviour, drugs and speeding Female, 25 to 34, Preston as I feel when I ring to report it all I get is we will get someone to come have a look, but nothing happens. I understand the cutbacks “Invest in front line policing. I want the but we need more officers in Rossendale as police to be seen and be out and about.” we rely on officers from other areas and by Female, 35 to 44, Chorley the time they've arrived the damage has been done and criminals have moved on.” Female, 16 to 24, Rossendale “Have more local PCSOs in areas. Years ago you always saw ours cycling or walking around Cottam and there were monthly meetings held for residents to voice issues “Have more officers in the real areas. It can and concerns, all this has gone, yet now be difficult to contact them due to the with more houses and people we need this closure of all the small police stations.” more than ever.” Female, 45 to 54, Wyre Female, 45 to 54, Preston

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Have you been a victim of crime in Lancashire in the last year?

5% 13%

81%

Yes No Prefer not to say

Over a tenth (13%) stated they had been a victim of crime in Lancashire over the past year; 81% had not been a victim of crime and 5% said they would prefer not to say.

Victim of crime by Demographics 19% 18% 17% 18% 15% 16% 13% 13% 14% 13% 12% 12%

9% 8%

No

Yes

Male

BAME

White

Online

Female

16 to 16 24 to 25 34 to 35 44 to 45 54 to 55 64

Telephone 65 or 65 above Gender Age Ethnic Group Disability Method

Around a fifth (19%) of those with a disability had been a victim of crime in the past year, more than any other group, and 7% more than those without a disability (12%). Those who responded online (16%) were twice as likely as those that responded over the phone (8%) to have been a victim of crime over the last year.

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Those aged 65 or above (9%) were the least likely to have been a victim of crime over the last year whereas 18% of those 35 to 44 and 45 to 64 and 17% of those aged 25 to 34 had been a victim of crime.

Very / fairly well by Area

Preston 19%

Burnley 18%

Blackpool 18%

Hyndburn 17%

Lancaster 15%

Blackburn with Darwen 14%

Pendle 13%

Chorley 13%

Rossendale 12%

West Lancs 11%

Ribble Valley 10%

South Ribble 9%

Fylde 9%

Wyre 8%

Residents of Preston (19%) were the most likely to have been a victim of crime over the past year, closely followed by those in Burney (18%), Blackpool (18%) and Hyndburn (17%); whereas only 8% of those in Wyre had been a victim of crime over the last year with residents in Fylde (9%), South Ribble (9%) and Ribble Valley (10%) also less likely to have been a victim of crime.

Have you been a victim of crime in Lancashire in the 2019 2020 last year? Yes 22% 13% No 72% 81% Prefer not to say 7% 5%

There has been a decrease of around a tenth in those who said they had been a victim of crime in Lancashire over the past year, falling from 22% in 2019 to 13% in 2020.

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3.3 Response to the Pandemic

How well do you feel Lancashire Constabulary has responded to the additional challenges posed by the pandemic?

23% 29% 55% Very / fairly 6% well 11% 32%

Very well Fairly well Not very well Not well at all Don't know

Over half (55%) felt that Lancashire Constabulary had responded either very well or fairy well to the additional challenges posed by the pandemic (23% very well; 32% fairly well). Less than a fifth (17%) did not feel the response to the challenges faced as a result of the pandemic was dealt with well, with 11% that felt it was not very well dealt with and 6% that felt it was not dealt with well at all.

A significant proportion (29%) stated they did not know how well Lancashire Constabulary had responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Very / fairly well by Demographics 67% 65% 66% 62% 58% 58% 56% 56% 53% 52% 53% 52%

49% 50%

No

Yes

Male

BAME

White

Online

Female

16 to 16 24 to 25 34 to 35 44 to 45 54 to 55 64

Telephone 65 or 65 above Gender Age Ethnic Group Disability Method

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Younger respondents tended to be more positive in how well they perceived Lancashire Constabulary had responded to the challenges faced by the pandemic. Those aged 25 to 34 (66%) were most positive in how well they thought the Constabulary had responded, closely followed by those aged 16 to 24 (65%) and those aged 35 to 44 (62%). Respondents aged 45 to 54 were the least positive, with less than half (49%) that felt the Constabulary had responded either very or fairly well to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Males (52%) and respondents with a disability (52%) were less likely than females (58%) and those without a disability (56%) to say Lancashire Constabulary had responded well to the additional challenges posed by the pandemic. Those who responded online (50%) were also a lot less likely than those that responded over the phone (67%) to have said the Constabulary were responding well to the challenges faced as a result of the pandemic.

Very / fairly well by Area South Ribble 66% Blackpool 62% Burnley 62% Wyre 62% Lancaster 58% Ribble Valley 57% Chorley 56% Blackburn with Darwen 53% Preston 53% West Lancs 51% Hyndburn 50% Rossendale 50% Fylde 48% Pendle 46%

Respondents living in South Ribble (66%) most frequently said the Constabulary were responding either very or fairly well to the challenges posed by the pandemic, with sentiment that it was being dealt with well, also high in Blackpool, Burnley and Wyre (all 62%). Perception that the Constabulary was dealing with the challenges faced as a result of the pandemic was lower in Pendle (46%), Fylde (48%), Rossendale (50%), Hyndburn (50%) and West Lancs (51%).

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Respondents were asked the reasons why they thought Lancashire Constabulary had either responded well or not so well to the additional challenges faced by the pandemic. The main themes that came up for those that felt the police were responding well was that they had heard good things (either from word of mouth, social media or the media), the police were visible and the police seem to be doing a good job, or at least the best they can, under the circumstances.

For those that felt the police were not doing well, the main themes that emerged were that there are not enough police and a lack of resources, there is a lack of visibility, they were not dealing with crime and ASB and the police were not good at updating people.

A notable proportion also mentioned that they had had no experience of dealing with the police or that they have not noticed any change and it seemed consistent.

Below are some of the comments made by respondents that represent some of the key themes that emerged as well as word clouds for both the positive and negative responses provided by respondents:

“There is a good police presence in “In my area lots of people have been vulnerable areas.” breaking the COVID rules, most of the time, Female, 65 to 64, Preston repeatedly. I haven’t really noticed anyone policing this in the area. Although I’ve noticed on social media this is being

“I don't feel as though the pandemic really addressed and local police are visiting

changed anything. We personally called offenders. Hopefully this will make a

the non-emergency line to tell you that difference. I realise how busy the police are there was a mass gathering during the and don’t like to report people, if I did I pandemic (whilst you were wanting tip- would be ringing every day.” offs about raves) and you told us you could Female, 55 to 64, Pendle do nothing, and yet there was a house full of 35-50 people making disturbances with shouting and loud music until the early hours of the morning. I respect what the “With stretched resources prior to the police do, but I feel like in response to pandemic, the police response highlighted in crime, such as nightly break-ins and the media, whilst not perfect, could not be damage to property, there is not enough faulted overall. Given the unique set of that has been done. When you do call the circumstances the performance of the police non-emergency line to report something overall has been fair, sensible and calculated that yes, maybe isn't urgent, but needs throughout.” dealing with, nothing gets resolved.” Male, 65 to 74, Lancaster Female, 55 to 64, Pendle

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“They are keeping everyone up to date on “Given increased powers for the police

during the pandemic, I witnessed, on at social media and senior officers are giving personal updates.” least 6 occasions, police officers driving past Female, 55 to 64, Rossendale groups of people, ignore crimes being committed, actively talk to wanted people and not arrest them and fail to respond to “In early lockdown there seemed to be a complaints by residents.”

focus on stopping people travelling short Male, 25 to 34, Preston

distances safely in cars to get exercise in the nearby countryside, whilst people in and around town completely failed to observe “I have seen a lot more police on the street social distancing without reprimand. There dealing with people who aren't co-operating just are not enough police to monitor with the social distancing rules.” reckless behaviour, in addition to a lack of Female, 16 to 24, South Ribble clear direction from the government. Right

now, social distancing is rare and the wearing of masks in certain situations is not enforced. There seems to be a mindset that “They have been good at informing the if the people who represent the government public through their Facebook page.” can flaunt the rules, why should n’t anyone Female, 16 to 24, Blackpool else?” Male, 65 to 74, Burnley

“The police do not have the resources to deal with all the issues raised by people “I think they're very brave being on the front flouting the coronavirus rules and line, they've provided the public with a lot of regulations. Near to where I live there have information and they've helped people stay been raves, where young people have in the control. There was an incident of gathered together in large numbers in young boys walking around supermarkets, complete contravention of the social putting saliva on food products, they were distancing rules, and nothing has been done quickly identified via the police's social about it. All the time I have seen youths media by the general public and they flouting the rules, and I do not really blame responded to it immediately.” the police for not getting on top of it, as Female, 35 to 44, Lancaster they do not have the resources to deal with all these idiots who are just carrying on as they want to. They know that the police are not likely to go after them, and even if they “In my view the police have done the best do these people know that all they will be they can to respond to the pandemic despite told is to go home, so it’s not really much of some of the guidelines being hard to enforce a deterrent for them.” to the general public.” Male, 65 to 74, Blackburn Female, 55 to 64, Fylde

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3.4 Policing Priorities

Thinking about the issues below, what should Lancashire Police be concentrating on as a high, medium or low priority? High Medium Low

Investigating serious crimes 94% 5% 1%

Tackling Child abuse and sexual exploitation 88% 9% 3%

Combatting terrorism/extremism 79% 16% 5%

Tackling Domestic abuse /violence 72% 23% 4%

Patrolling areas with regular reports of crime 68% 30% 2%

Addressing local crime and antisocial behaviour 64% 34% 2%

Taking early action to prevent crimes 51% 43% 6%

Road Traffic Policing 36% 47% 17%

Answer and respond promptly to non-emergency calls 19% 52% 29%

Provide crime prevention advice and support 16% 55% 30%

Provide information to you about policing 13% 46% 41%

Patrolling areas with low levels of reported crime 9% 38% 53%

Over nine out of every ten (94%) felt that investigating serious and organised crimes should be considered a high priority by Lancashire Police with only 1% that felt is should be a low priority. A high proportion of respondents also felt that tackling child abuse and sexual exploitation (88%), combatting terrorism and extremism (79%) and tackling domestic abuse and violence (72%) should be considered as a high priority by the police.

Less than a tenth (9%) felt that patrolling areas with low levels of reported crime should be a high priority for the police with over half (53%) that considered it a low priority. Less than a fifth considered answering and promptly to non-emergency calls (19%), providing crime prevention advice and support (16%) and providing information about policing (13%) to be a high priority to Lancashire Police.

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Thinking about the issues below, what should 2019 (High 2020 (High Lancashire Police be concentrating on as a high, priority) priority) medium or low priority? Investigating serious crimes 95% 94% Tackling Child abuse and sexual exploitation 87% 88% Combatting terrorism/extremism 76% 79% Tackling Domestic abuse /violence 64% 72% Patrolling areas with regular reports of crime 72% 68% Addressing local crime and antisocial behaviour 67% 64% Taking early action to prevent crimes 54% 51% Road Traffic Policing 28% 36% Answer and respond promptly to non-emergency calls 24% 19% Provide crime prevention advice and support 17% 16% Provide information to you about policing 13% 13% Patrolling areas with low levels of reported crime 10% 9%

The issues that respondents felt should be treated as a high priority in 2019 have remained largely similar in 2020. There was very little difference between the top three responses considered a high with slightly fewer that felt investigating serious crime should be a high priority (95% in 2019, 94% in 2020) and slightly more that felt tackling child abuse and sexual exploitation (87% in 2019, 88% in 2020) and combatting terrorism and extremism (76% in 2019 , 79% in 2020) should be a high priority.

There was an increase from 2019 to 2020 in those that felt tackling domestic abuse and violence should be a high priority (64% in 2019, 72% in 2020) as well as an increase in those that felt road traffic policing was a high priority (28% in 2019, 36% in 2020).

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Respondents were also asked if there were any other crime types or policing issues that they had a problem with in their local area. The most frequently responses were anti-social behaviour, drug related issues and speeding and motoring offences. There was also mention of youth-related problems, burglary and parking issues, although these issues were not mentioned as frequently. Below are some of the comments made by respondents regarding issues in their area:

“My issues are with anti-social behaviour. Wee scroats that know they're untouchable “In the area where I live, I would have to say because of their age and because they know the big problem is motor crime, and that is the likelihood of the police turning up to a speeding drivers. The road near me has a report is very low. You have to do more.” 30mph limit, but no word of a lie they come Male, 45 to 54, Preston down here at 80 to 90mph regularly.” Male, 65 to 74, Blackburn

“Drugs in Blackpool and . Drug dealers around here seem to get away with whatever they want. A drug dealer that lives “Rossendale has big problems with drugs, in the area openly boasts about what they anti-social behaviour and speeding. do. I hardly see any patrols about anymore. I Everywhere you go in Rossendale you can would like more patrols as I’m sure everyone smell drugs and someone is always using would think the judicial system needs to give the roads like a racing track.” out proper and fair sentences to criminals. Female, 16 to 24, Rossendale Without the proper custodial sentences what is the point in the police putting in all the work for the criminals to be let back “I've been complaining about my neighbours onto the streets without punishment.” drug dealing since February. I spoke to an Male, 25 to 34, Wyre officer in April about it but due to the no eviction law in place at the moment he said there's not much that can be done, so I think complaints from residents about drug “Anti-social behaviour with youths.” dealing and law breaking should be taken Female, 45 to 54, Hyndburn more seriously.” Female, 25 to 34, Pendle

“Motorists regularly breaking the law - speeding, close passing cyclists, dangerous “A lot of people are parking on double parking. Anti-social behaviour of youths yellow lines and blocking drives.” riding unregistered motorbikes on paths and Male, 65 to 74, Ribble Valley bridleways.” Male, 35 to 44, South Ribble

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4.0 Appendices 4.1 Survey Script

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