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.
The survey was sent to over 6,000 people across Leicestershire and Rutland, making this the biggest email survey of attitudes to crime and policing ever undertaken in our area.
Here in Loughborough:
- Only 25% of people in Loughborough are satisfied with the visibility of police.
- Only 29% were satisfied with the level of communication between police and public.
- 37% had noticed a rise in crime as covid restrictions were lifted in December.
- 81% felt more safe than unsafe walking near their home
- More people were worried about burglary [33%] than any other crime. Anti-social behaviour was the second most serious worry at 30%.
- More people prioritised more police on regular patrols [29%] than any other law and order measure, with tougher fines for anti-social behaviour coming second with 20%.
- 94% want to see the police more involved with our community here in Loughborough.
Rupert Matthews, Conservative Candidate to be Police and Crime Commissioner, said “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.
“Here in Loughborough I will look to use our share of the 6,000 extra police officers being provided by the Conservative Government to improve visibility of police on the streets, boost crime prevention and make a reality of Robert Peel’s instruction ‘The Police are the Public and the Public are the Police’.
“I want to address those concerns about communication between public and police by putting in place a much improved system of liaison and consultation with the public and with councillors using both formal and informal channels.”
* Methodology. The survey was conducted independently by Rosemary Armstrong of Northamptonshire. Over 6,000 residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland were contacted via email in the week of 14 December 2020 with a link to the on-line survey. Respondents were given until 15 January 2021 to complete the survey. Results were tabulate as a whole and broken down into the following areas: Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Leicester, Loughborough, Melton & the Vale of Belvoir, North West Leicestershire, Rutland, South Leicestershire.
“The Police are the Public and the Public are the Police” – Sir Robert Peel
Twitter - @Rupert_Matthews
