Background to the Research

• The report presents the findings from the Community Attitudes Survey's seventh year, which measures attitudes towards crime, policing and the courts.
  

Research Approach

• The survey was carried out with a representative sample of adults aged 16 and over in NI. The 1999 figures are based on 1,350 interviews from 2,406 addresses, over a twelve month period.
  

Main Findings

Perceptions of the level of crime

• 76% of people surveyed thought that burglary in their area was uncommon, 77% thought vandalism was uncommon, 93% felt mugging was uncommon, 66% thought illegal drug abuse was uncommon and 74% thought car crime was uncommon. This is in keeping with the general trend found in earlier surveys.
• 25% of Protestants thought burglary was common in their area, as opposed to 19% of Catholics, while Catholics (23%) were more likely than Protestants (15%) to say that illegal drug abuse was common.
• 63% of those surveyed thought that crime in their area was at the same level as it was two years ago, 1 in 4 thought there was more crime.
• 32% of respondents thought the police should concentrate on speeding in their area, 13% on burglary, and 13% on illegal drug abuse.
• For the country as a whole, 46% thought the police should focus on illegal drug abuse, and 12% on drinking and driving.

Personal fear of crime

• 79% of those surveyed do not believe that they are likely to be victims of burglary. 92% felt the same way about mugging, 90% about home vandalism, 77% about car theft, 79% about car theft and 83% about car vandalism. 96% of women thought it unlikely they would be raped or sexually assaulted.

Personal precautions taken against crime

• Through the seven years that the survey has been taken, the use of home security systems have increased, with Protestants being more likely than Catholics to use specific home security measures and to have insurance against theft.
• 51% of households have double locks and deadlocks, 48% have window locks, 37% have lights either inside or outside on timers or sensors, and 16% have burglar alarms. Despite these precautions, 55% of those surveyed felt that burglars could get into their house easily.
• Car security measures have also increased over the past seven years.

Contact with the Police and reporting crime

• 11% of respondents had been approached or contacted by the police in the past year.
• 31% had contacted the police, the preferred method being a telephone call. 82% of respondents said they would telephone the police to report an ordinary crime, nuisance or disturbance, while 14% would visit the police station in person.
• 94% of respondents said they would report a burglary of a stranger's house; 99% of their own.

Perceptions of the Police

• 76% of those surveyed thought the police were polite, 75% thought they were helpful when it came to ordinary crime. 77% thought the police were fair to everyone, contrasting with 67% in the 1997/1998 survey.
• In the seven years of the survey, Protestants have been around 20% more likely to say that the police act fairly towards everyone than Catholics. Protestants also give a more positive assessment of the police in the thres areas of politeness, helpfulness and fairness.
• Overall, 73% of people believe that the police are doing a good job in their area.

Responsibility for Police Complaints

• 69% of Protestants and 45% of Catholics said they would complain to their local police station about the actions of a police officer.
• 32% of respondents did not know who was responsible for investigating complaints about the police. 31% thought that there should be an independent body responsible for handling complaints, 19% mentioned the Independent Commission for Police Complaints.
• 72% had heard of PANI and, of these, 56% thought they were part of the police.

Community Involvement in Policing

• 28% of respondents said they would contact their local elected representative if they wanted to change the way the police operated in their area, 25% said they would get in touch with their local police station or officer and 18% did not know who they would contact.
• 33% of Catholics and 31% of Protestants said they would be interested in joining a group which met with the police to discuss policing.
• 41% had heard of Community Police Liaison Committees. When their role was described, 92% of respondents thought that they were a good idea, with 89% wanting one in their area.

Composition of the Police Force

• 84% of Catholics and 62% of Protestants thought that there were too few Catholics in the police. 56% thought the police tried equally to recruit from both sides, although 24% of Protestants thought they tried harder to recruit Catholics.

The Courts and Criminal Justice System

• Only 8% of respondents had had contact with the courts over the last 12 months. 64% said they didn't understand the way the courts worked, although 88% felt that it was important that people did understand.
• 73% thought the system was fair overall, although 83% thought that innocent people can be found guilty and 90% felt that guilty people were sometimes found innocent.
• 85% of Protestants and 67% of Catholics felt that the communities were treated equally in relation to non-terrorist crimes. In relation to terrorist or sectarian crimes, 77% of Protestants and 53% of Catholics thought that treatment was equal.
• 54% of respondents thought the penalties for non-terrorist crimes should be harsher.
• 79% of Protestants and 54% of Catholics thought that penalties for terrorist or sectarian crimes should be stricter.
• 60% of Protestants and 33% of Catholics felt that a life sentence should mean life for terrorist crimes; 50% of Protestants and 30% of Catholics thought that a life sentence for non-terrorist crimes should mean life.