An on-line survey of over 6,000 residents commissioned by Rupert Matthews, Conservative Candidate to be Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire and Rutland, has revealed a deep desire among the public for serious improvements to policing in our area.
We have recently undertaken a major on-line survey of over 6,000 residents of our city and two counties. As well as the headline figures, we also broke down the responses into smaller areas.
In the City of Leicester area, the results proved to be most interesting.
Here in the City of Leicester:
- Only 9% of people in Leicester are satisfied with the visibility of police.
- Only 12% were satisfied with the level of communication between police and public.
- 39% had noticed a rise in crime as covid restrictions were lifted in December.
- 60% felt more unsafe than safe walking near their home
- More people were worried about anti-social behaviour [24%] than any other crime. Burglary was the second most serious worry at 22%.
- More people prioritised more police on regular patrols [33%] than any other law and order measure, with tougher fines for anti-social behaviour coming second with 22%.
These results show that while most people support our police and appreciate the work that they do, there some unhappiness about specific aspects of policing in our area.
In particular, people want to see improved communications between the police and the public and an increased visibility of the police in our community.
I want to address those concerns by putting in place a much improved system of liaison and consultation with councillors using both formal and informal channels.
As the candidate to be Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, to be held on 6 May, I will be taking these views on board when drawing up my manifesto.
I want to change policing in our area for the better. I want to drive down crime. I want to make our streets safer. Some of that will require long-term policies and the commitment to carry them through for a period of years.
But the drive to get better policing starts now. It starts with a Conservative vote on 6 May. If you have any concerns about voting at a polling station, you can apply for a postal vote. See the postal vote page of this website for guidance on how to do this in your area.
Photo shows Rupert Matthews in Leicester City Centre
