ABERDEENSHIRE CITIZENS' PANEL
Community Well-Being Survey - 2006

Most respondents felt that there had been no significant change in levels of crime in their local area. More than half of respondents felt that crime levels had stayed the same (54%).

Nevertheless, there remained a substantial minority who felt that crime levels had increased (nearly 2 in 5, 38%) although few felt that levels had increased greatly (7%).

Banff & Buchan area respondents were most likely to report an increase in crime levels; indeed this was the only area where most respondents reported an increase.

Respondents in the Kincardine & Mearns and Marr areas were least likely to report an increase in crime. However it should be noted that few of these respondents felt that crime levels had decreased in their local area - most felt that levels had remained the same.

Respondents were asked about their direct experiences of crime and antisocial behaviour as either witness or victim. Dog fouling was the most commonly experienced, being mentioned by nearly 3 in 5 respondents (63%). In addition, antisocial driving and drunkenness had also been experienced by more than half of respondents in the past 2 years (56% and 53% respectively).

Other commonly mentioned experiences were teenagers/ children causing a nuisance (45%), graffiti/ vandalism (40%) and hooliganism (39%). It is interesting to note that all of the most commonly experienced problems related to antisocial behaviour. In addition to these issues, a substantial minority of respondents had experienced road/ traffic related problems in the past 2 years; abandoned cars and road accidents had each been witnessed or experienced by around 3 in 10 respondents in the past 2 years.

Experience of these crimes/ problems did not vary greatly across the six administrative areas. Respondents in Formartine, Garioch and Kincardine & Mearns were most likely to have experienced anti-social driving. Garioch respondents were most likely to have witnessed or experienced drunkenness - indeed this was the most commonly experienced problem in the area.

Dog fouling was a common experience across all areas, but was highest in Banff & Buchan and Kincardine & Mearns.

Respondents were asked about what impact perceived crime levels had on their behaviour.

Relatively few respondents felt that crime had no impact at all on their own behaviour (nearly 1 in 5, 18%). Most others felt that crime had a minor or moderate impact on their behaviour; nearly 7 in 10 (69%). However, there remained more than 1 in 10 who felt that crime had a major impact on their own behaviour (13%).

Respondents in the Buchan and Garioch areas were most likely to be affected by crime. Formartine and Marr area respondents were least affected by crime.

Respondents were also asked about the extent to which they are worried about becoming a victim of crime. In terms of becoming a victim of crime themselves while nearly 2 in 5 were very or fairly worried (38%), most were not really worried or not at all (61%).

However, respondents were much more worried about a family member or friend becoming a victim of crime; more than 3 in 5 were very or fairly worried (61%) and just over 1 in 3 were unworried (37%).

Levels of worry were broadly similar across all areas, with Buchan and Garioch respondents most concerned - each with more than 2 in 5 respondents very or fairly worried.

Respondents were asked how safe they feel in different types of location. Town centres in the evenings/night after dark emerged as the main area of concern with half of respondents indicating that they felt unsafe (50%). This is a far higher proportion feeling unsafe than for any other situation; for example just 1 in 20 feel unsafe in town centres during the day.

None of the respondents indicated that they feel unsafe in their own neighbourhood during the day, and more than 3 in 4 feel very safe in this situation. However, it should be noted that more than 1 in 10 respondents indicated that they felt unsafe in their own neighbourhood in the evening/night (11%).

There were no clear variations in perceptions of the safety of town centres by administrative area. However, it is notable that respondents in the Buchan and Banff & Buchan areas were much more likely than others to feel unsafe in their own neighbourhood after dark. Marr and Formartine respondents were least likely to feel unsafe.

Respondents were asked about the importance they attached to certain types of Police activity, both in relation to uniformed foot patrols and mobile patrols. Uniformed patrols on foot were the more popular option overall though this varied according to the context specified.

For town centres almost all respondents thought it was important for uniformed patrols to be present during the evening/night (99%) with 4 in 5 regarding it as very important. The great majority also felt uniformed patrols to be important to town centres during the daytime, although fewer saw this as very important; just over 1 in 3 (36%).

Respondents generally felt that uniformed foot patrols were not as important for residential areas, although more than 4 in 5 felt that they were important for such areas during the evening/ night (84%) and as many as 3 in 5 felt that they would be important during the day (60%).

With mobile patrols opinion was more divided, although respondents were broadly in favour of this form of policing for town centres. More than 9 in 10 respondents felt that mobile patrols were important for town centres during the evening or night (94%) and more than half felt that they were very important. In addition, more than 7 in 10 respondents saw this measure as important during daytime hours (71%).

Respondents generally felt that mobile patrols were less important for residential areas, although again the majority of respondents felt that they were important for both the evening/ night and during the day. Well over 4 in 5 were in favour of mobile patrols in these areas during the evening/ night, and just over half were in favour during the day.

Levels of support for daytime and evening/ night residential foot patrols were lowest in Formartine. Formartine and Garioch residents were also the least supportive of mobile patrols in residential areas during the day.