Press Release

DPP survey highlights local policing concerns

Tuesday, 14 November 2006

Derry District Policing Partnership (DPP) has published the results of the latest DPP Public Consultation Survey, which will be used by the DPP and PSNI to help shape the future policing priorities in the Derry City Council area.

The survey, which was sent to 3487 households in the Derry City Council area asked people to prioritise the policing issues about which they are most concerned, and to select the policing activities that they would like to see the police in L/Derry concentrate most resources on.

Speaking about the survey’s findings, DPP Chair, Councillor Thomas Conway said:

“I would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete and return the survey. This questionnaire, along with the other consultation and engagement work carried out by the DPP throughout the year, provides us with vital information on what the local people want from the Police Service and how satisfied they are with the service they receive. The results help us, along with District Commander Chief Superintendent Richard Russell to formulate the policing priorities for L/Derry in the Local Policing Plan.”

“Across the district, respondents highlighted Underage Drinking (54%), Young people causing a nuisance - antisocial behaviour (44%), Speeding (37%), Vandalism (36%), Dangerous/Careless driving (35%) as the biggest problems in the Derry City Council area.”

“At the same time, the results show that the public feel local Police should be concentrating most resources on:

1 More beat/foot patrolling
2 Crime prevention
3 Prompt response to emergencies
4 Increased involvement with young people
5 Investigating Crime”

Priorities identified in the 2004 NISRA survey were broadly the same, the only difference being that `Improving Community Relations’ had a higher ranking in 2004, respondents ranking this priority 5th in importance, whereas it was ranked 7th in the current year’s survey.

`Increased involvement with young people’ was ranked fourth in 2006 and 6th in 2004. In broad terms, the shift in priorities has been minimal. In terms of satisfaction levels, the percentage remains the same for the 2004 and 2006 local surveys at 33%. In both the 2004 and 2006 survey, 49% of respondents indicated that they were willing to contact the DPP regarding local policing.

“Through the DPP, the community has a real voice on policing in the Derry City Council area. The DPP is about allowing local people to shape local policing and, by completing this questionnaire, members of the public have ensured that their views will be considered by the DPP and PSNI as we plan how the district will be policed.”

“If you would like to find out more about the survey findings you can download the results from the Derry DPP website at www.district policing.com/derry Or contact the DPP office at the Council Offices, 98 Strand Road, or telephone.

If you would like to submit a question to the DPP relating to the survey findings, please contact the DPP Manager, on 028 7137 6565 or email derrydpp@derrycity.gov.uk

Ends

For more information please contact 028 7137 6565

Notes to editors:

1. DPP Public Consultation Survey

A key function of each DPP is that at least every two years they should undertake a community survey throughout their council area to identify the views of the public concerning the policing of their district. Along with other forms of public consultation the DPP undertakes, this survey is very much part of that remit.
The 60,000 households were randomly selected from the Valuation and Lands Agency List of private addresses. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency conducted the postal survey on behalf of the Policing Board and DPPs in May/June of this year. A copy of the Northern Ireland wide results of the 2006 DPP Public Consultation Survey can be found on the Policing Board’s website www.nipolicingboard.org.uk in the Publications Section. A hard copy can be obtained by emailing information@nipolicingboard.org.uk or by contacting the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Waterside Tower, 31 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock, Belfast BT1 3BG. Telephone 028 9040 8500.

2. Core Questions and DPP Specific Questions

The 17 core questions asked by the Policing Board cover attitudes to policing priorities, police resourcing, satisfaction with local policing and knowledge/satisfaction with DPPs.

In addition to the core survey questions, DPPs were given the opportunity to ask locally specific questions.

Each DPP is responsible for publishing its own results and using the survey results and other consultative information to help develop with their District Commander the area’s Local Policing Plan.

Ends
------------------
Main findings from the District Policing Partnership (DPP)
Public Consultation Survey 2006

Background

· The Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) conducted the DPP Public Consultation Survey 2006 during May/June 2006. Like the previous surveys (in June 2003 and May 2004), this was a postal survey of 60,000 households in Northern Ireland (one in ten of all households), randomly selected from the Valuation and Lands Agency List of private addresses.

· 12,197 questionnaires were returned (20% response rate). 7,067 questionnaires (58%) were completed by Protestant respondents, 3,430 (28%) were from Catholic respondents, 308 respondents (3%) stated a religion other than Protestant or Catholic, 576 respondents (5%) stated “No Religion” and 816 respondents (7%) did not answer the question. More females (6,284 or 52%) returned questionnaires than males (5,362 or 44%) and 551 respondents (5%) did not disclose their gender.

· The survey asked people (i) to prioritise the policing issues about which they were most concerned, (ii) to highlight the policing activities they would like to see local police concentrate resources on, (iii) their satisfaction with local policing and (iv) their knowledge of and satisfaction with DPPs.

· The results are used by the Policing Board to fulfil its statutory responsibilities under Section 3(3) (d) (ii) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 to “assess the level of public satisfaction with the performance of the police and of district policing partnerships” and to help develop the Northern Ireland Policing Plan 2007-2010. Under Section 3.4 (a) of the draft DPP Code of Practice, DPPs are required to consider undertaking a public consultation survey every two years.

· The results of the survey at DPP/District Command Unit level have been disseminated to DPPs, who are responsible for the dissemination/publication of their local results, following publication of the Northern Ireland wide results.

· This briefing represents respondents’ views to the 17 core survey questions asked by the Policing Board across Northern Ireland. DPPs had the opportunity to ask locally specific questions - thus these results are not available at a Northern Ireland level.
 Key survey findings

Policing issues

· The policing problems/issues which respondents rated as their biggest concerns were Domestic Burglary (42%), Underage Drinking (42%), Young People Causing a Nuisance (39%), Vandalism (39%) and Speeding (37%). This is broadly similar to the policing problems/issues identified in 2004.

· The policing activities that respondents wished to see more PSNI resources concentrated on were Beat/Foot Patrolling (71%), Prompt Response to Emergencies (62%), Crime Prevention (61%) and Investigating Crime (54%) - the same policing activities as in 2004.

Satisfaction with local policing

· More respondents were satisfied with policing in their District Council (33%) than dissatisfied (22%). This is broadly similar to the 2004 findings, when 33% of respondents were satisfied and 25% were dissatisfied.

· 16% of respondents were satisfied with foot patrolling (14% in 2004) and 22% satisfied with vehicle patrolling (23% in 2004).

· Just over a quarter (27%) of respondents had been in contact with local police in the last year and, of these, 64% were satisfied in the way they were treated by the local police.

· Almost one in eight (12%) respondents had been a victim of crime within the last year and, of these, 79% had reported the crime.

· 75% of respondents felt either fairly safe or very safe in their local community.

Knowledge of/satisfaction with DPPs

· 71% of respondents had heard of DPPs (mostly through TV/radio and newspaper stories) compared to 67% in 2004. Of these, 13% knew who the Members of their DPP were (18% in 2004) and 17% knew how to contact their DPP (19% in 2004).

· Of those respondents who had heard of DPPs, almost a sixth (15%) thought that their DPP was doing a good job (compared to 17% in 2004), 35% were confident that their DPP was helping to address local policing issues (34% in 2004) and 45% were prepared to contact their DPP (49% in 2004).

Statistics and Research Branch
2 November 2006

For additional information contact:

Press Office

return to previous page