Residents' Panel Survey
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Report written: October 2009 Residents’ Panel Survey: Community Safety Report Dominic Baker Consultation and Research Officer Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 020 7361 2402 [email protected] Crime Report 2009 1 Crime Report 2009 2 Contents Contents Section 1: Executive summary Page 4 Section 2: Information on the Residents’ Panel Page 8 Section 3: Community Safety results Page 12 Section 4: Police Community Support Officers Page 44 Section 5: Antisocial behaviour Page 52 Section 6: Other Community Safety Issues Page 74 Appendix 1 - Data tables Page 95 Appendix 2 - Comments in response to open questions Page 120 Crime Report 2009 3 Executive Summary Section 1: Executive Summary General The full report contains all the responses to the questions on community safety and provides a commentary based on an analysis of these responses. As part of the analysis many of this year's results have been compared to those received in past years so that change over time can be identified. These comparisons are included in the commentary. The results have also been broken down by gender, disability, ethnicity, age and geographically (by Police Sector boundaries). Where significant differences have been found, when looking at the breakdowns, an appropriate comment has been included in the commentary but they are not included in this executive summary. These breakdowns are especially helpful in pinpointing particular issues effecting specific sections of the local community or particular areas. A selection of notable comments given in response to open questions has been included in the main report. Comments have been grouped into themes and are included at the end of the main report. The survey was undertaken in August 2009. Community Safety - 2009 4 Executive Summary Headline results Good news • There has been a ten per cent increase in the number of respondents that feel safe in their local area after dark since 2008 – 69 per cent. • The percentage of respondents that feel there has been less crime in their local area was at the highest level recorded since 2003 - 14 per cent. • The percentage of respondents that feel there has been more crime is consistent with 2008 maintaining the reduction from 30 per cent since 2005 – 16 per cent. • Respondents that had been a victim of crime have reduced by eight per cent since 2008 and represents the lowest figure recorded since 2005 – 17 per cent. • The 2009 results maintain the gradual increase with the percentage of respondents that agree that the presence of PCSOs has reduced antisocial behaviour in the borough from 25 per cent in 2004 to 36 per cent in 2009. • In 2006 nearly half (47 per cent) of respondents agreed that teenagers hanging around on the streets were a problem in their local area, this figure has decreased to 33 per cent in 2009. • Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles were perceived as a problem by 35 per cent of respondents in 2006, this figure has decreased to 19 per cent in 2009. • 51 per cent of respondents felt that people not treating each other with respect and consideration was a problem in 2006, in 2009 this has reduced to 33 per cent. Also in 2006 more respondents felt people not treating each other with respect and consideration was a problem (51 per cent) than not a problem (45 per cent), in 2009 fewer respondents feel this issue is a problem (33 per cent) than those that thought it is a problem (61 per cent). • There has been a five per cent decrease in the number of respondents that have felt fearful of being attacked by a dog in their local area since 2008 – 54 per cent. • There has been an eight per cent increase in the number of respondents that feel that parents take enough responsibility for the behaviour of their children since 2008 – 50 per cent. • There has been a 14 per cent increase in the number of respondents that feel that the Police and other local public services are successfully dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime in respondents’ local area since 2008 – 40 per cent. • In 2007, 25 per cent of respondents felt well informed about what is being done to tackle antisocial behaviour in their local area; this has increased to 31 per cent in 2009. • 48 per cent of respondents feel well informed about what to do in the event of a large- scale emergency, a 32 per cent increase on 2008. Community Safety - 2009 5 Executive Summary Not so good news • There has been an eight per cent increase in the number of respondents who have said they have been a victim of crime and did not report any of the offences to the Police since 2008 – 21 per cent. • There has been a twelve per cent reduction in the number of respondents who have said they have been a victim of crime and did report all offences experienced to the Police since 2008 – 43 per cent. • Since 2007 there has been an 11 per cent decrease in the percentage of respondents that find the PCSO they approached helpful – 70 per cent. • There has been an eight per cent increase in the number of respondents that believe dog fouling is a problem since 2008 – 63 per cent. • There has been a five per cent increase in the percentage of respondents that have given money to beggars in the borough since 2008 – 21 per cent. Headline results - questions asked for the first time. • In total 49 per cent of respondents had heard of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams with six per cent of these having contacted their Team. • 36 per cent of respondents, who have heard of their Safer Neighbourhood Team, know how to contact the Team for their local area. • Of those that have contacted a Safer Neighbourhood Team 62 per cent are satisfied and 27 per cent are dissatisfied. • 31 per cent of respondents felt that youth nuisance is a problem. • 29 per cent of respondents felt that beggars are a problem. • 25 per cent of respondents felt that street drinkers are a problem. • 19 per cent of respondents felt that rough sleepers are a problem. • 19 per cent of respondents felt that fly tipping is a problem. • Six per cent of respondents felt that prostitution is a problem. • 23 per cent of respondents felt that prostitute cards in phones boxes are a problem. • 16 per cent of respondents felt that drug nuisance is a problem. Community Safety - 2009 6 Executive Summary • 56 per cent of respondents would like to be informed about what the Police and other public agencies are doing to tackle antisocial behaviour by the post, 41 per cent chose email, 40 per cent elected the Council newspaper as their preferred medium and 36 per cent selected another local newspaper. • 10 per cent of respondents have been a witness of racial harassment and two per cent a victim. • Five per cent of respondents have been a witness to homophobic harassment and two per cent a victim. • 55 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the Metropolitan Police and 51 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the London Fire Brigade. • 80 per cent of respondents have a smoke alarm in their house. • Seven per cent of respondents have tested their smoke alarm in the last week, 25 per cent in the last year, 26 per cent in the last month, 23 per cent in the last three months, eight per cent haven’t checked their smoke alarm in over a year and five per cent of respondents have never checked their smoke alarm. • 86 per cent of respondents have had their smoke alarm in their house for over one year and overall eight per cent have had their smoke alarm for less than one year. • The majority of respondents feel that national newspapers (68 per cent) and the television (58 per cent) have the most influence on their understanding of crime and antisocial behaviour. Other popular factors include the experiences of friends/neighbours (47 per cent), personal experiences (34 per cent), through the radio (30 per cent) and local newspapers (23 per cent). Less common factors were crime statistics (eight per cent), Council communications (seven per cent) and Police communications (seven per cent). Community Safety - 2009 7 Introduction Introduction This report provides the results of the Community Safety section of the August 2009 survey of the Residents’ Panel. It begins with information on how the Panel members are recruited and how the Panel is maintained. This is followed by an analysis of responses to the survey. Background information The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has established a Residents’ Panel, as a cost effective means of handling the growing number of consultation surveys undertaken by the Council. The Panel is surveyed four times a year. The Panel has an ongoing process of recruitment. This is intended to replace Panel members who leave the Panel, for example members who no longer wish to participate or who move out of the Royal Borough. Residents’ Panel members stay on the Panel for a maximum of two years. This is because Panel members become more knowledgeable about the way in which the Council works, and therefore cease to be representative of the population as a whole. Recruiting new members to the Panel also enables more members of the public to have the opportunity to take part. The number of Panel members currently stands at 1,497 but is undergoing a process of recruitment. Survey methodology A questionnaire was designed to include questions on the following subject areas: • Council Tax – What Your Money is Spent On • Community Safety The August 2009 Residents’ Panel survey also had an ‘online’ component with 752 out of the 1,497 Panel members receiving the survey over the Internet.