Public attitude survey: update on emerging findings

Report: 8
Date: 14 October 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report updates members on the results of the 2003/4 Public Attitude Survey, supplemented by emerging findings from the first quarter results of the newly revised 2004/5 Public Attitude Survey and the Safer Neighbourhoods benchmarking exercise conducted from March to June 2004.

A. Recommendation

That the report be noted.

B. Supporting information

1. The Police Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) was introduced in April 2004 across England and Wales. A central component of PPAF is an appraisal of ‘citizen focus’ for the delivery of policing services.

2. The MPS PPAF citizen focus domain is measured via the British Crime Survey on a Service wide basis by asking residents whether they think the local police do an excellent or good job. The Police Performance Monitor 2003/4 released on 22 September showed 49% (+/- 2%) of London respondents stated that local police were doing an excellent or good job. The Most Similar Forces Average is 48% (+/- 1%).

3. The MPS Public Attitude Survey (PAS) has been revised in 2004/5 to capture relevant and useful information to drive improvement in citizen focus. The development of Safer Neighbourhoods is clearly compatible with the corporate desire to track Londoners’ confidence in policing. The MPS recognises that how the people of London feel about policing is every bit as important as the tangible delivery of service. It is critically linked to overall trust and confidence. This survey work is complimented by annual, dialogue based, consultation carried out by the MPA and the MPS to a get a better appreciation of what the public require from policing services.

4. In light of the innovations introduced through the National Reassurance Project extended via Safer Neighbourhoods, the MPS uses this revised PAS as a London-wide consultation tool. The MPS is clearly aware that it is not always ‘crime’ that drives Londoners’ worry about safety and is intent on gathering robust information about anti-social behaviour from Londoners’ experiences. This report begins by a brief overview of some of the trends in London’s Public Attitudes since 1999. The next section provides a brief overview of the first quarter results of the 2004/5 Public Attitude Survey. The third section examines some highlights from the benchmarking exercise from the 96 ward survey conducted during March and June 2004.

Key findings from trend analysis from PAS 2003/4

6. The MPS has carried out the PAS since 1983. The questions have been altered over the years, making full trend analysis difficult. However, there are some relevant findings reported below that help us understand Londoners’ perceptions of policing needs, priorities and experiences.

7. Since 1999 findings regarding respondents who view the police to be very or fairly helpful, courteous, patient, aggressive, honest, competent or patient have remained fairly constant. The number of people who say they ‘do not know’ how to answer this question is growing over time, from 23% in 1999 to 38% in 2003/4.

To what extent do you feel the police in this area are very/fairly...

8. Trust in the police is at its highest level; with (79%) of Londoners’ questioned stating they trust the police. This has increased from 71% in 1995. However, the reason cited for not trusting the police is increasingly based on personal experience (63% in 1997, 83% in 2003/04).

9. Fear of crime has decreased since 1995. In 2003/4, 43% of the respondents feared crime ‘a great deal’ or a ‘fair amount’, compared with 50% in 1995.

10. Worry about specific crimes has decreased in the past year (between 2002/03 and 2003/04). Significant decreases have been observed with regard to:

• Having your home broken into and something stolen – 7% decrease
• Mugging – 8% decrease
• Rape – 3% decrease
• Physical attack by a stranger – 6% decrease
• Racially motivated assault – 1.5% decrease

11. There are challenges concerning any MPS contact with members of VEM groups. Respondents from these groups are less likely to agree that the police in their area are helpful, patient, courteous, competent or fair in their treatment of everybody and more likely to consider them aggressive.

12. The PAS was redesigned in 2004/5 to make it compatible with the drive toward improvement in the arena of citizen focus.

Key Findings from PAS quarter 1 2004/2005

The MPS PAS interviewed 2404 Londoners between April and June 2004 about their experiences and perceptions of crime and policing. These are the first findings from the new PAS questionnaire, redesigned to allow the monitoring of the impact of the Safer Neighbourhood initiative on Londoners’ perceptions and experiences.

High level results from the surveys suggest that:

• Visibility matters - Police visibility and the way police officers behave drives public satisfaction with policing in local areas. People want greater police/community interaction and accountability.
• Contact matters - Contact with the police is a key element in satisfaction that ultimately drives confidence and trust in the police. However, victims of crime and those that have been stopped, searched or arrested are less satisfied with the way they had been dealt with than those that had other forms of contact with the police. People want contact with the police in contexts other than incidents of crime and disorder.
• Information matters - Half of the respondents feel very well or fairly well informed about what the police in London are doing. However, two in three people (68%) do not feel well informed about what their local police are doing. Most people said that TV was their main source of information (80%). Three out of five residents say local newspapers supply them with information about their neighbourhood police.
• Victims matter - Significant differences are apparent between victim initial satisfaction and overall satisfaction. Improvements to the follow up phase will increase levels of overall satisfaction. Male victims and those who have experienced racially motivated crime and assault are likely to be less satisfied.

15. The results of the corporate survey work show that the MPS has made progress in increasing public trust. The survey results also indicate that satisfaction with policing can fall when people have contact with the services delivered by the MPS. It is clear that in order to increase levels of satisfaction with the policing experience, it is necessary to manage all of our contact points to ensure that, as far as possible, we get the basics right in every one of our interactions with the public. Close liaison with the work of the MPA consultation staff and programme will enhance our ability to identify specific service improvements, which enhance the quality of policing services to Londoners.

16. The MPS, through DCC2, has set up a Stakeholders’ Forum that will meet quarterly to encourage cross-MPS dialogue and discuss performance about citizen focus issues. The forum will involve representatives from each business group and from each of the major corporate change programmes, as well as other MPS stakeholders.

Key findings from the safer neighbourhoods benchmarking survey 2004

17. Using the PAS, the Safer Neighbourhood Survey (SNS) interviewed 9611 Londoners between March and July 2004. Approximately 100 residents within 96 wards were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of crime and policing.

18. The findings below reflect the high level findings from three trenches of the survey. Phase 1 and 2 interviewing stages addressed residents in wards that did not have Safer Neighbourhood Policing Teams in place prior to the survey. Phase 3 wards are those involved in the National Reassurance Policing Programme and have therefore had Safer Neighbourhood Policing Teams in place since September 2003.

19. Six wards from phase 1 have been re-surveyed 3 months after the implementation of the safer neighbourhood policing teams. Results, where applicable, for these wards are also included below.

20. Key findings are:

• Area matters. Although there are some common concerns amongst Londoners, some issues are bigger concerns in some areas than others. Thus in 33 of the 96 Safer Neighbourhood wards a majority of residents see teenagers hanging around as a problem, but in only 1 ward is being harassed by strangers a major problem for the majority.
• Contact Matters. Personal experience and what respondents have seen in the area are the main factors influencing worry about crime and anti-social behaviour. Victim satisfaction with the way they were dealt with by the police is driven by officer behaviour. Taking the matter seriously, keeping victims informed of the progress of the case, ease of contacting the police all influence satisfaction with service received.
• Visibility matters. Londoners have many ideas for improving the safety of their neighbourhood, but the most popular option by far is an increase in the number of uniformed Police Officers patrolling on foot, with an increase in vehicle patrols the second most popular option and the use of CCTV third most popular. Community Support Officers/ Neighbourhoods Wardens also get significant support. The majority of respondents believe that it is important to know a local police officer.

21. Our findings confirm basic principles of what Londoners want from the MPS:

• Police who understand the concerns of local people and take them seriously are helpful, courteous, competent, patient, fair and honest;
• to be kept informed about what their local police are doing. Amongst the respondents that felt they had found out something about police in their area in the previous year, local newspapers and TV were the main sources of information.

Brief findings on the impact of the introduction of Safer Neighbourhoods on how Londoners’ feel

22. Comparisons have been made with the PAS first Quarter 2004/05 and the results from the SNS wards, involved in the National Reassurance Policing Programme. The Safer Neighbourhoods Survey was carried out in these 12 wards 9 months after the implementation of the Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Teams. The PAS Q1 data was collected throughout the Metropolitan Police District, excluding the wards involved in the SNS and therefore in areas without Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Teams. In addition, we have information from six wards where follow up interviews have been conducted three months following the introduction of Safer Neighbourhood teams.

23. Statistically significant differences have been found between respondents from the Safer Neighbourhood Wards and other Londoners. SN residents feel:

• Safer than 12 months ago;
• That the crime rate has decreased over the last 2 years;
• That anti-social behaviour has got better over the last 2 years;
• That they see a uniformed police officer more frequently and that this is ‘about right’ in terms of frequency.

24. Statistically significant differences have been found between respondents from the Safer Neighbourhood Wards in the way their local area is policed.

• Approximately half of the respondents are worried about crime in their neighbourhood and anti-social behaviour. Respondents in Norbiton ward (Kingston-upon-Thames), High Street ward (Waltham Forest), Wealdstone (Harrow) and Queens Park (Westminster) feel significantly less worried about crime and anti-social behaviour 3 months after the introduction of community based policing teams.
• Respondents who are very worried about crime in their neighbourhood cite teenagers hanging around as the major problem. Significantly more respondents in Norbiton ward (Kingston-upon-Thames), Queens Park (Westminster), Hackney Central (Hackney) and High Street ward (Waltham Forest) feel that anti-social behaviour issues are less of a problem 3 months after the introduction of community based policing teams.
• Support for the idea that the public should get to know a local police officer is very high. Significantly more respondents in Norbiton ward (Kingston-upon-Thames), Dormers Wells (Ealing), High Street (Waltham Forrest) and Wealdstone (Harrow) have seen police officers on patrol ‘at least daily’ 3 months after the implementation of the community policing teams and significantly more respondents reported this to be ‘about right’.
• Keeping people informed also has an impact on respondents worry about crime in the neighbourhood. Those respondents who feel informed are more likely to be ‘not worried’ about crime in their neighbourhood. Significantly, more respondents in Norbiton (Kingston-upon-Thames), Dormers Wells (Ealing) and Queens Park (Westminster) feel ‘fairly informed’ 3 month after the implementation of the community policing teams.

Progress to date

25. Please see Appendix 1 for timelines outlining the progress to date and future developments of the Public Attitude Survey and the Safer Neighbourhoods Survey.

C. Race and equality impact

The respondents for the Public Attitude Survey are selected at random and meet set quotas according to age, sex, ethnicity and working status. At present, the Public Attitude Survey does not contact set quotas of LGBT people, refugees or asylum seekers or people without permanent homes. In order to achieve this other methods of consultation are being considered such as focus groups or in depth interviews. This could include visiting areas where the homeless are known to reside, visiting community centres, contacting associations for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals and visiting asylum centres.

D. Financial implications

1. The cost implications for this survey and the corporate MPS Crime Victim Survey are outlined in the table overleaf. It is time to discuss whether in the future the MPA and the MPS wish to survey all wards within all MPS Boroughs. 2007/2008 will see surveying in all 624 MPS wards. The PAS borough based survey could cease to exist in 2007/2008, replaced by a ward-based survey capturing Londoner’s attitudes.

2. This continuous surveying of Londoner’s at a ward level would produce comparable data that will enable the MPS to track and monitor key questions/issues in individual wards. Local policing performance on a ward level could be monitored from the results of the survey.

3. However, continuous consultation with the public at such a local level will be expensive. The MPA should consider whether they would in principle support such a move toward ward based surveys or continue to capture corporate data at Borough level. Regardless of whether the MPS surveys at a ward or Borough level, sufficient funds are currently allocated to the Public Attitude Survey in order to track how Londoners experience and perceive policing services. The estimated costs are set out in the table below.

MPS corporate survey costs

Please note that all costs presented above are estimates and could be subject to change.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Professor Betsy Stanko, MPS

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1: Timelines

Progress to date

March–June 2004

• Data collected for 96 wards involved in the Safer Neighbourhoods survey
• Data collection for PAS 04/05 Q1 begins in April.

July–September 2004

• PAS Q1 used as Met baseline measure and comparisons made with Safer Neighbourhoods wards (NRPP)
• Data collection and reporting of PAS Q2.
• Ward comparisons – 6 wards dip sampled and reported on by 22nd September.
• 4 NRPP wards compared to wards without SN policing teams

Future developments

October–December 2004

• A further 6 wards dip sampled for comparison purposes. Report completed for submission to GLA to support public consultation of GLA draft budget.
• Data collection and reporting of PAS Q3.

January–March 2005

• Data collection and reporting of PAS Q4 and annual reports.

April–June 2005

• Survey all 96 original wards to measure change and impact of the SN policing teams, providing funding allows
• Data collection and reporting of PAS Q1 05/06.

July–September 2005

• An additional 176 wards added to the Safer Neighbourhoods Survey, providing funding allows.
• Data collection and reporting of PAS Q2.

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