Fear Crime - Essay Example

?Fear of Crime Criminal activities have been on the increase in the town of Kingston, whereby, its residents have stated their fears on incivility and crime against them. Personal safety is of a major concern to the townspeople that is why this survey was taken to assist in knowing how rampant the crime has spread throughout the town. Introduction The report focuses on the survey of safety of the people in the town of Kingston, and the rate of crime that occurs in that area. Given that the United Kingdom is the safest place in town due to security policies enforced like implementation of closed circuit television in all public areas, then expected that the crime rate should be below the average. This report is to summarizes the findings of the survey carried out and give a general outcome of the findings (Chatterton and Hollands, 2002). Table one Table one shows a survey taken in Kingston, considering various attributes like the age group, gender, disability, ethnicity of a person, focusing on the minority ethnics. It also targeted those who were residents in RBK, adults, in full time education, how they travel to town, the purpose of visit and if they were aware that there was the presence of CCTV in the areas (Gant, 2010). There have been public concerns about the safety of the public because, despite the good record of low crime, there have been exceptional cases of crimes occurring at the town. The table gives statistics of the research from the year 2007 to 2012. It is evident that the number of people willing to participate in the survey increases every time. The highest recorded number of people in the survey hit a record of 1136, in the year 2010 (Table 1). These people are then divided in age groups of under twenty five years, between twenty five and thirty nine years, between forty and fifty nine years, and finally sixty years and over. According to the statistics, those who were under twenty five years among all the age groups, were the ones with the highest number of fear of crime, whereas those who were at the age of sixty years and over, had the least fear of crime in the town. This explains that it is the young ones who have a lot of time in their hands and commit these crimes. Most criminals fall in the age gap of below twenty five. When assessing between the male and female? In all the years, the female is more afraid of crime in the town than their male counterparts. However, these statistics have dropped from a high of 59, to a low of 50.8 in the year 2011. This is encouraging because it shows that the fear of crime has reduced, and this could be attributed to the facts that criminal offences have reduced, and the public safety is ensured. For those who are in full time education, in the town, the story is different because the fear tends to escalate drastically. Another record worth taking note of is the means that people use to travel to the city center. Those who travel by motor cycle are the least fearful of the group, but statistics still shows that the fear of crime has increased, although it is still lower than other means of transport (Oc and Tiesdell, 2001). Those who travel by means of vehicles, that is by bus or personal cars. This shows that these people experience a high rate of crime, therefore they fear for their property and lives. Those who go to school at the city center have the most fear of crime. This was equated to crimes committed in school like bullying, being beaten up and harassment from their fellow students. An exceptionally large number of people are aware of the availability of CCTV in public areas within the town. This gives them the sense of security, since they believe that there safety is assured and do not have to fear. It was also reported that some of the crimes committed include vandalism, graffiti, antisocial behavior. Table 2 Table two shows the reported experience of victimization in percentage, in the years 2007 to 2012. The levels of personal victimization are reviewed in the table, and from it, we are able to tell which form of crime is feared and has been experienced the most than other forms. The types of violations committed to the innocent public include mugging and assault in the streets, threats and harassments by strangers, harassed or assaulted because of race, sexual orientation or disability, sexually assaulted or harassed, and troubled by groups of people congregating. Other forms of crimes were intimidation by drunken drivers, troubled by rowdy behavior, pick pocketed and theft of a mobile phone (Killias and Clerici, 2002). The respondents for people mugged between 2007 and 2011 have increased. The statistics are worrying because the previous year, 2009, it recorded an all tome low of 0.8%, but then it increased with time. This calls for alarm since it shows that the rate of crime is increasing. Assault in the street also follows the same trend, as it increased from 0.3% in 2007 to 1.4% in 2011. These statistics are all valid. Occurrences of being threatened or harassed by strangers increased from 1.1% in 2007 to 3.4% in 2008. This trend, however, shifted its course as it decreased, drastically in the following year to 1.1%. However, in the following years, it increased but by only a few margins. This shows that threats by strangers has reduced. Those who reported having been assaulted because of their race, sexual orientation or disability, was recorded at 1.5% in 2011, which was the highest of all the years recorded. There are also other respondents who claimed that they had been sexually harassed or assaulted. These cases are not all that high, among all other violations, and all of them are proven to be true (Schafer, Huebner, and Bynum, 2006). Other incidents include troubled from groups of people who congregate or by rowdy behavior, which at some point were the highest in 2008, hitting a record of 6.7% and &.6% respectively. Pick pocketing from handbags has increases from 1.4% in 2007 to 2.8% in 2011, and this case is the same for theft of mobile shoes, as it escalates every year to a record high of 3.2% in 2011, which is the highest rate reported of the crimes committed. Table 3 Table 3 summarizes the crimes experienced by auto and cycle that were either committed on a bicycle or a car and cars and cycles stolen. In the car crime incidences, the number of cars stole increased in 2011 at 1.3%, from a previously low of 0.4% in 2009. The cars broke into and vandalized also increased in 2011. The number of cycle crime have also shown trends of increase in 2011 (Table 3). The cycles stole reduced drastically from 5.1% in 2007 to 2.3% in 2011. Parts stole from the cycles reduced from 2007, although the cases slightly increased in to 1.6% to 0.5% in 2011. The vandalism of the cycles is also following a trend of increasing. All these cases are valid from the report in table 3. Table 4 Table 4 gives an analysis of the extent to which victims have reported cases into incivility and crime. The report states that overall, the number of cases during the period of the survey was 164, whereas, the number of incidents reported within the same period is only 44 overall. Incidents of theft of mobile phones, which include theft in the handbags were the ones that mostly occurred, and had a record of 26 out of a64 cases. Incidents of cycles being vandalized and parts of it stolen were the least that occurred. Both of them recorded a 1, out of 164. These cases were the only ones that were not being reported, in this category, the cars stole and incidents of intimidation by drunken behavior. The cases that were highly reported is still the theft of mobile phones (Killias and Clerici, 2002). Table 5: Fear of Crime These findings have given reasons for responses, therefore, table 5 gives a summary of the respondents responses that were given to a number of questions which probed the different domains in the fear of crime. Those who feared being mugged in the streets, in 2011, a large number of respondents 41.8% were not terribly afraid whereas, in 2007, 45.4% felt the same way. The reduction of people that are not truly afraid indicates that the crime rate has probably increased. Overall, the number of respondents about being mugged in the streets has rapidly decreased, which is a worrying statistic. In contrast, those who were interviewed claimed to be acutely or quite worried about sexual harassment and assault. This increased from the statistics in 2010 (Table 5). Likewise, the proportions of respondents that felt either acutely or quite safe from being harassed by troubled groups of congregating people and rowdy people have reduced in 2011. For both incidents, they reduced from an all high record in 2010. Table 6 Table six still shows the fear of victimization in the car crimes. The number of respondents that felt acutely or quite safe, reduced from the previous year, 2010. Those who felt extremely safe reduced from 4.0% in 2010, to 3.9% in 2011. Likewise for those who feel quite safe reduced from 11.9% in 2010 to 10.7% in 2011. For those who are not afraid of their cars being stolen, the number has significantly increased by 9.8% between 2007 and 2011 (Schafer, Huebner, and Bynum, 2006). For the number, of cars broken into, those who feel extremely safe has increased, probably due to the presence of CCTV in the car park lots and public areas, therefore, the offenders are easily caught. The number of those who feel that they are not truly safe has drastically increased, with the highest record of 51.4%. Cases of vandalism of cars are also rampant and among the incidents surveyed. In overall, the number of respondents who took part in this survey, feel that they do not feel safe and that those who feel acutely or quite safe, do not feel the same way again. Instead, most of them feel that they are not safe at all, since the number recorded increased to 45.6% in 2011, from 16.1% in 2010. Table 7 A larger proportion of cyclists expressed higher levels of concern of the properties than those who had cars. Table 7 shows the fear of victimization of cycle crime. There have been incidences of cycles getting stolen parts removed and vandalized, just the case of motorists. In cases of theft of cycles, the number of those who feel acutely or quite safe has increased drastically. This is evident on the table because for those who feel truly safe, it increased from 2.2% in 2007, to 13.1% in 2011. For those who do not feel safe at all, the number reduced from the previous year, 2010, to a lower record in 2012 (Table 7). In instances of stolen parts, those who feel quite safe has increased overall and for those who do not feel safe at all have tendencies of decreasing and increasing, but it has reduced. For incidences of vandalism, the rates of those who feel extremely safe increased in 2008 to 15.7% from 5.4%, then decreased but increased again. For those who felt not safe at all, it followed the same trend, but the latest records show that it has decreased from the previous year. Table 8: Personal Safety, Avoidance of Shopping Centers Table eight shows the various feelings towards the personal safety. These findings have a bearing on social sustainability issues in the town center. Table 8 shows the percentage of people that are likely to avoid the town center because of their fear of crime. In all years, remarkably few people are likely to avoid the town during daylight, since most of them perform their tasks at these hours. The number of those who always avoided the town during weekdays after dark reduced to 8.6% in 2011, but in 2012, it increased. For those who still visit the town during that time, the rate has increased drastically from 5.5% in 2011 to 12% in 2012. On weekends during daylight, the table shows that those who are likely not to visit the town always has remained the same in the years of 2011 and 2012. Whereas, for those who visit the town during this time, the record reduced in 2012 to 10%. Those who visit the town on weekends after dark, the number of respondents visiting the town in overall reduced, owing to the fact that the crime rate had increased (Gant, 2010). Table 9 Safety on Streets and Using Public Transport This table shows the personal safety of people in the town and while using the public transport. In general, those who visit the town and walk on the streets feel extremely safe, and the number increased as the years went by. It is clear from the table that the town people feel safe while using the public transport in general (Oc and Tiesdell, 2001). Overall Outcome Evaluation of gender throughout the survey has variations in personal safety whereby, the males are less worried about their personal safety than their female counterparts. Older people who participated in the survey were more worried of their safety than the younger generation. The number of people who avoid the town during the hours of darkness is increasingly rising. In cases of harassment, those from ethnic minority and disabled people were more concerned over their personal safety. Bibliography Chatterton, P and Hollands, R, 2002 ‘Theorizing Urban Playscapes: Producing, Regulating and Consuming youthful Nightlife City Spaces.’ Urban Studies, 39, 95-116. Gant, R, 2010, ‘Personal Safety in Kingston Town center. A consideration of Trends,’ Kingston Upon Thames, Kingston University. Killias, M and Clerici, C, 2002 ‘Different Measures of Vulnerability in their Relation to Different Dimensions of Fear of Crime’ British Journal of Criminology, 40, 437-450. Oc, T. and Tiesdell, S, 2001, ‘Safer City Centers.’ London, Paul Chapman Publishing. Schafer, J.A, Huebner, B.M and Bynum, T.S, 2006 ‘ Fear of Crime and Criminal Victimization.’ Journal of Criminal Justice, 34, 285-301. Read More