With recorded crime figures on the rise, millions of Britons believe community spirit is on the decline, a new study shows today (31 July 2002).
With recorded crime figures on the rise, millions of Britons believe community spirit is on the decline, a new study shows today (31 July 2002).
Research into the link between a sense of community and crime reveals that while there has been a drop in community spirit across the country, the figures are worse in areas of social housing.
People living in social housing are twice as likely to become victims of crime* and Norwich Union’s ‘Community Crime’ study reveals that residents in these areas also had a much greater fear for their personal safety and their property.
The study of 1,000 households and more than 350 council tenants across the country reveals one in three (36 per cent) of council tenants have been a victim of crime and on average they’ve suffered at least twice.
Two in five tenants have been a victim of burglary, while a third have been assaulted and almost a quarter (23 per cent) have been robbed.
Norwich Union’s ‘Community Crime’ study also shows:
- More than one third of people living on council estates don’t have adequate door locks and less than half (47 per cent) have window locks. Only one in nine (11 per cent) have burglar alarms
- 43 per cent of council tenants say more youth drug programmes would make them feel safer; 73 per cent want greater police presence on estates and more than two in five want 24-hour security patrols
- Four in five people nationally think there should be closer consultation with the community to identify and tackle community safety issues.
Norwich Union has joined forces with national crime reduction organisation, Crime Concern, and are launching a new scheme to tackle crime right where it’s needed most.
The Norwich Union Neighbourhood Apprenticeship Scheme focuses on training local people to become neighbourhood community apprentices within their own communities.
The first three apprentices – to be announced later this year – will work under the guidance of experienced Crime Concern Managers already working on crime reduction and drug education programmes in mainly low income neighbourhoods across the country.
Commenting on the findings, Jill Willis, market development manager for Norwich Union Insurance, said: “As the UK's largest household insurance company we want to understand the key issues behind the crime figures, particularly in areas of social housing where the levels of crime are twice the national average.
“In fact, our research shows that fear of crime far outweighs actual reported figures, with more than two thirds of people living on council estates worrying about their personal safety and that of their property.
"By funding these apprenticeship schemes we hope to have a better understanding of what works best at a grass roots level in the hope that we can build on and develop schemes like this in the future."
Nigel Whiskin, chief executive of Crime Concern, said: “Much of the crime in England and Wales takes place in a limited area and crime statistics show that 82 per cent of all recorded robberies are in 10 of the 43 police force areas.
“We believe that action is needed to empower communities to help in the fight to reduce crime and with the Norwich Union Neighbourhood Apprenticeship Scheme we’ll be able to target the areas most in need.”
Media contact:
Jane Wheeler (mobile – 07775 854 412)/Jo Misson at QBO on 020 7379 0304 or Jenny Chapman (mobile – 07775 822 642) at Norwich Union on 08703 66 68 64.
Notes to editors
- Norwich Union commissioned Connect Research to interview 366 council tenants in London and the South East, West Midlands and Scotland in June 2002. Sample included English speaking tenants and non-English speaking Asian tenants.
- Norwich Union also commissioned ICM Research Limited to interview 1,000 households across the country about crime and home security in June 2002.
- Norwich Union is the UK’s largest insurer. In general insurance it is more than 1.5 times the size of its nearest competitor, and has a 19 per cent share of the market.
- It has a focus on insurance for individuals and small businesses. It insures:
- one in five households
- one in five motor vehicles
- more than 700,000 businesses
- Norwich Union products are available through a variety of distribution channels including brokers, corporate partners such as banks and building societies and Norwich Union Direct.
- Norwich Union’s news releases are available on the Aviva plc website at www.aviva.com
- A selection of images is available from the Norwich Union Newscast site at www.newscast.co.uk
- An ISDN facility is available for studio quality interviews. Call the press office on 08703 66 68 68
For all life & pensions media enquiries 08703 66 68 73
For all other media enquiries 08706 66 68 68
* Crime Concern figure