18 September 2002

BBC crime poll reveals gloomy picture

A BBC poll released today has painted a gloomy picture of the public perception of policing capability and current crime rates.

The ICM poll, conducted for the BBC, surveyed 500 people representative of the religious, social and political make up of Northern Ireland as a whole. The most startling statistic to come out of the poll, was that 85% of all parents surveyed were worried their child would be a victim of crime.

Not surprisingly, this was reflected in public confidence over arrest rates, which was low. Around 75% of respondents were not confident that street crime such as car theft and burglary would result in arrests.

Almost half of those surveyed said they would feel safer if there were more police on the streets, and 39% said they would want more CCTV cameras in place.

In a number of similar polls, the perception of high crime levels and fears over public safety seem to translate into demands for more 'bobbies on the beat'.

However, closer examination of that strategy by the Home Office revealed that a patrolling officer could expect to pass within 100 yards of a burglary only once every eight years, indicating that the manpower could be better deployed elsewhere.

The demand for more police officers reflects a squeeze on PSNI manpower, which is suffering from higher than average absentee rates of around 10% of the total force. Add to this the large number of experienced officers who have taken up the retirement packages set up under the Patten Report and the drain on resources due to counter-terrorism and combating street violence, and the situation becomes more serious.

In one of his last public statements as Acting Chief Constable, Colin Cramphorn warned that police were so stretched that officers could do little in terms of ordinary community policing.

Some of the more radical policies currently being rolled out by the Home Office received only minor support in the poll – ID cards (9%), on-the-spot fines (13%), and more tagging of criminals (3%).

After a summer of almost nightly street violence, which has been acknowledged by police and community leaders as orchestrated by paramilitaries, a dip in public confidence should be expected, but the question remains whether the security forces and political representatives can work together to rebuild it.

(GMcG)