Focus on preventing crime and anti-social
behaviour, residents tell Dorset Police, as survey
finds just 42% feel really safe in local town centre

Just 42% of Dorset residents feel really safe in their local town centre while just 62% feel really safe at home, a survey has found.

Residents want officers to focus on preventing crime and anti-social behaviour – ASB being the number one issue in their area – while 60% feel they don’t receive value for money from Dorset Police.

Those were among the key findings of a police and crime survey carried out by Dave Sidwick, the Conservative candidate to be Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner.

The survey found:

• Just 62% of people feel really safe at home (55% in urban areas and 74% in rural areas)
• Just 42% of people feel really safe in their local town centre (32% in urban areas and 60% in rural areas)
• One in five people have been a victim of crime in the last year (19% in urban areas and 20% in rural areas)
• Anti-social behaviour is the crime people feel they’re most likely to be affected by in the area where they live, followed by burglary/robbery, vehicle crime, fly-tipping and road traffic offences (drug offences, business crime/shoplifting and fraud/cyber crime are also key concerns in urban areas while the theft of farm equipment/livestock and poaching are also key concerns in rural areas)
• People want officers to focus primarily on preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, investigating crime and neighbourhood policing (just 5% felt the focus should be on supporting victims and the vulnerable)
• 60% of people feel they don’t receive value for money from Dorset Police (similar in urban and rural areas)

Dave said: “For over a year I’ve been campaigning for more focus in particular on anti-social behaviour, which negatively affects people’s quality of life. This survey validates that position.

“We need a radical, new, robust plan to address the needs of Dorset residents, with an emphasis on preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, investigating crime and having visible neighbourhood policing.

“Our current situation is not good enough. The people of Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole want change. They want their police to be crime fighters again.

“That is what I shall deliver if elected as Police and Crime Commissioner next May.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

• The survey was carried out in February and March, before the lockdown was introduced. As such, it provides the most up-to-date data from ‘normal’ times.
• The survey received over 650 responses. Data was collected from towns and villages across Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
• Dave deliberately carried out the survey outside the peak holiday season as crime and anti-social behaviour is elevated then by the volume of visitors. He intended to run the survey until mid-April but this was hindered by the lockdown.