23 January 2014 People feel safe in Suffolk PCC’s survey reveals The majority of people living in Suffolk feel safe, that is the finding of a local policing survey commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore, published today. More police officers and more visible policing were on the wish-list of the majority of interviewees, along with speeding, more focus on anti-social behaviour and child protection issues. The survey also shows that while young people do think the police are dealing with the things that matter in their community, they are most likely to think that the police do not treat everyone fairly. “This is an important piece of work which gives me a clear picture of the general state of policing and community safety across the county and I am very pleased to see that overall the picture is very positive”, said Tim Passmore. “It is very encouraging to see that 92% of the people surveyed said they feel safe in the area in which they live. Suffolk is a wonderful county and a very safe place to live so I am pleased that the public perception reflects this.” “I am also very pleased that, compared to the last survey, more people felt that anti-social behaviour in their area had reduced. Reducing ASB is an important aspect of my Police and Crime Plan and has been a high priority for the Constabulary this year. I am pleased this focus is having an impact, although I appreciate there is still work to do because less people generally felt the police are dealing with things that matter in their community than at the time of the last survey.” A total of 3,472 Suffolk residents took part in the survey, which was undertaken late last year, selected to represent the population of the county by age, ethnicity, gender and district. The survey did highlight some difference of opinion across the county. In Ipswich 12.8% of people said they did not feel safe in their neighbourhood, compared to only 3.9% in Mid Suffolk. The geographical breakdown also showed that people living in Lowestoft felt that ASB is more of an issue than it was two years ago. People aged 75 and above have the highest feeling of safety (96%) and would be less likely to want to pay more for policing. Tim concluded, “This survey has highlighted the areas where the Constabulary are doing a good job and also where performance could be improved. The survey was commissioned to get a statistically representative view from across the county and this breakdown of responses will help the Chief Constable to target the Constabulary’s resources in the most appropriate and effective way.” “I would like to thank everyone who took time to take part in the survey, their input is invaluable.”