Are Members of Society Who Are the Most Fearful of Crime, Also the Most Likely to Become the Victims of Crime?
Are members of our society who are the most fearful of crime also the most likely to become the victims of crime. The topic of fear of crime has been raised many times as an issue of high concern to the public.
Why is fear of crime such as high concern?
It affects the quality of personal and community life. People’s quality of life is seriously affected if they are fearful of crime. They become reluctant to leave their houses and their movements in the community are restricted to avoid areas or situations that they believe are unsafe. Some people feel anxious about being home alone, day and night but especially at night. Because of this anxiety, they have trouble sleeping.
To encourage people to be vigilant and to engage in a protective behaviour, a certain level of fear is needed. But the fear becomes a problem when people experience anxiety which is out of proportion to the actual risks of being a crime victim.
People’s fear of crime can cause wider costs to the community. Facilities such as car parks & public transport would not be fully utilized and money would be spent on security devices for the home and people. Alienation, isolation and the degradation of social networks are caused when the fear of crime becomes widespread in the community.
Improving the performance of the Police
The police services have now identified the reduction of fear of crime as an important goal to achieve. In 1993/94, the Queensland Police service specified that this goal is its first aim. As they wanted to aim to “encourage and work with local communities to solve crimes & improve neighbourhood safety and security” (QPS Corporate Plan 1993/94)
The Queensland Police have different programs in place to help community members to become less fearful of crime. They understand that safety is the main priority in someone’s mind and guarantee that people receive a professional response to this priority. The Police believe that everyone does have the right to feel safe and it is very important that the right is exercised. With the implementation of practical safety strategies, this can equip a person with the ability to take prevention action and be prepared and committed to a person’s personal safety, should the right of safety be threatened.
Such implementations are the Personal Safety Program and to measure the performance of this program, they have used methods such as regular community surveys. These surveys allow the police to become aware of the factors that contribute to the fear of crime that people have. Once aware, they can use them to help contain or reduce the fear.
Information sources about the fear of crime
Many surveys conducted in Queensland have provided information