Armagh District Policing Partnership DRAFT
Public Consultation Report 2004
Armagh District Policing Partnership DRAFT Consultation Report 2004 1.0 Introduction
Armagh District Policing Partnership has a statutory duty to make arrangements to obtain the views of the public on policing, contribute to local policing plans and priorities and monitor the police performance in the district. This report highlights the results from consultation carried out in the Armagh area by both the DPP and the Armagh Community Safety Partnership, including: NISRA Household Survey 2004 MORI Focus Group Consultation Armagh Community Safety Partnership Youth Focus Groups Community Safety Schools Survey DPP Youth Engagement Meeting Overview of CPLC Meetings
The issues and concerns the various consultations have highlighted will be examined by DPP members, and will form the basis for discussion between the Partnership and the District Commander in the formulation of targets for the 2005/06 local Policing Plan. This information will be used to investigate how police resources can be used more effectively and to monitor police performance against current targets. Armagh DPP recognises the part played by people who took part in any of the information gathering exercises which has provided vital information to help shape local policing and would like to thank everyone for their contribution and support. Thanks also to Armagh Community Safety Partnership for allowing the DPP to use the results from consultation carried out by the CSP.
2.0
NISRA Household Survey
The Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) was commissioned to carry out the survey on behalf of the Northern Ireland Policing Board and District Policing Partnerships (DPP’s). This postal survey involved questionnaires being sent to just over 60,000 households across Northern Ireland (NI) selected at random from the Valuation and Lands Agency list of addresses. This is the second District Policing Partnership Survey to be carried out by the Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, the first being carried out in 2003. The survey findings will assist Armagh DPP in monitoring police performance and along with other forms of local consultation they will contribute to the development of the local policing priorities contained in the Local Policing Plan for the area. One in 10 homes in the Armagh City & District Council area received the survey which contained core questions asked by the Policing Board and a variety of questions on local policing issues submitted by Armagh DPP. Of the questionnaires sent to households in Armagh 25 % were completed and returned. Biggest Perceived Problems When asked to indicate the biggest problem in their area the following five concerns were highlighted by the respondents: Domestic Burglary - 59%, a reduction on last years 65% Speeding - 51%, an increase on last years 48% Underage Drinking - 48%, a reduction on last years 51% Young people causing nuisance - 41%, an increase on last years 37% Vandalism (e.g. graffiti) - 35% a reduction on last years 36% Four of these priorities remain the same as last year. Concerns about attacks on the elderly have reduced from 47% last year to 32% and has dropped out of the top five although it is still at the upper end of the scale. Vandalism has moved up into the top five concerns since the previous survey. Police Priorities When asked to indicate what issues the PSNI should concentrate on the top five work areas were: Crime Prevention – 63%, same percentage as last year Beat/Foot Patrolling – 60%, an increase on last years 59% Investigating Crime – 57%, a reduction on last years 58% Prompt response to emergencies – 63%, an increase on last years 58% Increased involvement with Young People – 39%, an increase on last years 37%
As with the previous question these priorities are similar to last year, with the exception of Vehicle Patrolling which has been replaced in the top five by increased involvement with Young People Satisfaction with Policing in the District The number of those surveyed who were very satisfied/satisfied with local policing has risen slightly from last years figures to 33%, from 30%. Those were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied has also risen to 42% from 34%. Those who were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied has reduced from 11% to 9%. Foot Patrols – there is no significant change in attitudes to the levels of foot patrols amongst respondents who were satisfied or very satisfied with foot patrolling (15%), but there is a 10% reduction in those that were Dissatisfied or Very dissatisfied, from 57% last year to 47%. Vehicle patrols – levels of satisfaction regarding vehicle patrols has increased on last years figure of 19% being very satisfied/satisfied to 23% this year, and those that indicated that they were dissatisfied/very dissatisfied reduced from 47% last year to 39% in this survey. Questions relating to District Policing Partnerships (DPPs) A number of questions relating to the work of DPPs were included in the questionnaire to ascertain the public’s knowledge and perception of their local DPP. Have you heard of DPPs? The number of respondents who had heard of DPP has risen by 8% on last years results from 60% to 68%, and those who had not has fallen to 24% from 35%. Do you know who the members of your Local DPP are? The number of respondents who are aware of the members of Armagh DPP has dropped from 20% last year to 17% this year. Those who are not aware of the members of the DPP also reduced from 75% to 70% from last year. Do you know how to contact your local DPP? The number of respondents who knew how to contact the DPP has increased from 15% to 18% from the last survey and those who did not know has reduced from 77% to 70%. Four additional questions about DPPs were added to this years survey: Do you think you local DPP is doing a good job? In answer to this question, 15% of respondents replied yes and 15% replied no, 69% indicated that they didn’t know. How confident are you that your local DPP is helping to address local policing problems?
In answer to this question 32% were very confident/confident, and 59% were not confident/not at all confident that the DPP in Armagh is helping to address local policing problems. How confident are you that the membership of your local DPP reflects your District council area? 42% of respondents were very confident/confident that the membership of Armagh DPP was reflective of the area, and 45% were not confident/not at all confident that this was the case. Are you prepared to contact your local DPP regarding local policing? 50% of those surveyed stated that they would contact Armagh DPP about local policing, and 19% said that they would not. 30% of respondents didn’t know.
3.0
MORI Focus Group Consultation
Following on from the 2003 Postal Survey Armagh DPP carried out focus group work with local people to further investigate the policing matters which were important to them. Six focus groups were conducted in Armagh. Recruitment questionnaires were devised by MORI MRC for each group and approved in advance by Armagh DPP. The following focus groups were conducted in the Armagh City Hotel in February 2004: Age 16-20 years 16-20 years 25-50 years 25-50 years 60+ years 25-50 years Focus Group Urban/rural mix (Protestant) Urban/rural mix (Catholic) Housing estate (Protestant) Housing estate (Catholic) Urban/rural mix (Mixed Religion) Rural (Mixed Religion)
Rural is defined as those areas not in the five main population centres (Armagh, Tandragee, Keady, Richhill, Markethill), A list of housing estates classified by religion was provided by Armagh DPP and recruiters selected participants on this criteria. The main perceived problems in Armagh include: Underage drinking: This is the main problem in the Armagh area. Youths engage in intimidating and abusive behaviour towards local residents which can escalate into more serious anti-social behaviour Drugs are becoming more of a problem in Armagh and are more and more accessible. They are sold in clubs, car parks and in schools. Participants mention a possible link with the paramilitaries Underage drinking and drugs are seen as a lesser problem in rural areas Vandalism is linked to underage drinking and is seen as a problem in the area Paramilitary activity is still mentioned, although the focus has changed from politics to organised crime. Paramilitaries control certain crimes and impose rules, which can be seen as good by some residents because it lessened crime in the past. Some however, feel that paramilitary activity deters police from carrying out their job Many residents feel alienated and uncomfortable in certain areas or situations due to sectarian tension. Many have adapted what they wear for example so as not to cause offence or shy away from certain areas Burglary is a particular problem for older residents and those living in rural areas Attacks on the elderly are seen as more common in rural areas and fear is fuelled by recent media coverage.
Perceptions of Responsibility & Suggested Solutions Most residents believe the responsibility for Armagh’s problems lie with a mix of police, parents, the community, schools and the government or council. Parents are seen as responsible for controlling their children although many fail to do so for various reasons The Government should provide stricter sentences for offenders and ensure that offenders are convicted Councils and local communities should provide more facilities for young people Communities should also set up neighbourhood watch schemes Schools should encourage cross-community events and set up after school activities so as to deter young people from crime.
Perceptions of PSNI Overall satisfaction levels with the PSNI are very low. Participants call for less selective policing and less leniency from the police Police should crack down harder on crimes such as underage drinking, be less afraid to go into certain areas, and directly intervene more than observing Response times are widely criticised, particularly in rural areas Residents believe there is a lack of police presence and call for the police to be more visible at flash times and in the most troublesome areas. Awareness & attitudes towards DPP Awareness of the DPPs is limited. Respondents believe Armagh DPP should demonstrate how they can carry through the views of the public
4.0
Armagh Community Safety Partnership Youth Focus Groups
Armagh Community Safety Partnership undertook this consultation as part of the Stage 2 Community Safety Audit and the results will contribute to the Community Safety Strategy which will be published in June 2005. The youth focus groups were conducted with groups of young people between the ages 11-17 and were reflective of the urban and rural nature of the Council area and also the religious make up of the area. The principle findings of the focus groups were: Young people are routinely involved in acts of vandalism and anti-social behaviour Underage drinking is commonplace among young people and involves both boys and girls. Underage drinking occurs most often at weekends, with young people as young as 11 years of age reported to be engaged in such activity The Police are active in pursuing public underage drinking activity A lack of youth activities/facilities is reported as the main reason for engaging in underage drinking. Young people enjoy the drop-in centres/programmes that are available to them on a limited basis and would welcome more access to such initiatives The taking of drugs is not reported to be an issue although ther is acknowledgement that the use of drugs is on the increase Perceptions of the PSNI are not good.
5.0
Community Safety Schools Survey
Undertaken by the Community Safety Partnership a structure questionnaire was distributed to 250 post primary school children in the council area between the ages of 11017. Once again the survey was reflective of the geographic, religious and gender background of the area. The questionnaire was broken down into the following sections: Road safety, alcohol, drugs, smoking, truancy, bullying, wapons, vandalism, contact with the Police and fire safety. The main findings which are relevant to the DPPs consultation report are: 76% of respondents realised that young male drivers cause most accidents and 50% realise that hitting someone at 30mph would probably result in death. 90% of respondents understood the ramifications of driving dangerously i.e. possible imprisonment and s a consequence 54% stated that knowing this would make them drive more carefully. 42% of respondents indicated that they consumed alcohol (56% male and 44% female). 43% indicated that they consumed alcohol less than once per week and 5% 2-3 times per week. 12% of those who drank alcohol obtained it from an off-licence and 6% from a bar or club. 85% replied that they know it was illegal to consume or purchase alcohol under the age of 18.
58% of respondents indicated that they had never carried out any form of vandalism, 33% claimed that they had committed one off acts of vandalism and 5% indicated that they were persistently involved in this type of activity. When asked had they ever been moved on when gathering in the street 21% reported that this had happened to them. 14% of those claimed to have done nothing wrong with a further 17% indicating that they had been moved on for causing annoyance to residents or shopkeepers(4%), causing a disturbance (7%) or public drinking (5%). 46% of those questioned had never had any dealings with the Police Service. 21% had met the Police Services as a result of patrolling, 9% as a result of committing an offence and 4% because they were the victime of an offence. 20% of respondents indicated that the Police had not been sympathetic to them even though they had done nothing wrong. DPP Youth Engagement Meeting
6.0
It was recognised that in the recent NISRA survey only 2% of respondents fell into the 16-24 age group, the total respondents amounted to 490 people, which means that only 10 people in this age group gave us their priorities for policing. The members of Armagh DPP realised that young people have a voice and views that they would like to express about policing in their area. It was decided that young people should be given the opportunity to ask questions, and tell the PSNI what their priorities are for policing in their area through a meeting in public. This also coincided with Local Democracy Week. A lot of work behind the scenes went into making the meeting held on the 12 October a success. I worked closely with the local Schools Liaison Officer, Con. Dessie Black and Area Commander, Chief Inspector Hugh Hume to agree a format that the PSNI felt comfortable with and that would be interesting for the students who would attend. All eight of the post primary schools in the area were invited to bring along students studying citizenship or politics. I met with teachers and information packs were provided for each student to enable them to do some preliminary work before the meeting. Each school was asked to submit two questions to the District Commander and to tell us what their policing priorities were. Our members were delighted with the excellent turnout, over 100 pupils attended. Questions were submitted about police presence, 50/50 recruitment, closure of rural police stations, Roads Policing and domestic burglary strategies, and careers in the Police Service. The format for the meeting was less formal than our normal meetings in public and an open forum was held to allow the audience to ask questions of the DPP members and the PSNI.
Priorities Finally, each school presented their policing priorities for the district, which included: Police presence Public drinking and underage drinking Vandalism Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Assaults Attacks on the Elderly Joyriding Drugs and alcohol Abuse Community Relations
7.0
CPLC Priorities
There are three Community Police Liaison Committees (CPLCs) operating in the Armagh City and District Council area: Markethill, Loughgall, and Tandragee. Armagh DPP provides funding to enable the groups to meet regularly to discuss issues around crime and local policing. The table below demonstrates the main issues discussed by each of the CPLCs. CPLC Loughgall CPLC DATE Jan 2004 Feb 2004 March 2004 ISSUE Car Crime Burglary Speeding Criminal Damage Car Crime Criminal Damage Burglary Traffic Offences Theft Criminal Damage Burglary Speeding Car Crime Road Safety Underage Drinking Criminal Damage Commercial Burglary Car crime Racial Harassment Speeding & Parking Accident Prevention Neighbourhood Watch Speeding & Parking Accident Prevention Neighbourhood Watch Speeding & Parking Accident Prevention Neighbourhood Watch Neighbourhood Watch Parking Speeding Anti-social behaviour Underage drinking Street lighting Policing of Band Parade Neighbourhood Watch Anti-social behaviour
April 2004
May 2004
September 2004 October 2004
Markethill
Feb 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
September 2004
October 2004
Police Communication CCTV Provision Use of Police Resources Neighbourhood Watch Policing at Halloween Road Traffic Issues Traffic Matters Truancy Underage drinking Burglary Traffic Management Neighbourhood Watch Traffic Issues Assault Burglary
Tandragee
May 2004
August 2004 October 2004