People feel less unsafe

01/03/2012 15:00

Fewer people in the Netherlands feel unsafe
Number of victims of common crime unchanged
People more positive about the police

The proportion of Dutch aged 15 years and older who occasionally felt unsafe in 2011 was marginally lower than one year previously. The proportion who reported they had been victims of common crime hardly changed last year. Dutch civilians were also more positive about the police as is shown in the annually published Integral Safety Monitor by Statistics Netherlands.

Unsafety became a less prominent issue last year. In 2011, a quarter of the population occasionally felt unsafe versus 26 percent in 2010. In the period 2005-2011, the percentage in the Dutch population who occasionally feel unsafe was reduced dramatically.

One in three Dutch residents occasionally felt unsafe in 2005. The reduction was most obvious between 2005 and 2008 and subsequently remained fairly stable. Last year, the number of residents feeling unsafe again declined marginally.

Feelings of unsafety are more common among people living in highly urbanised regions. Three in ten residents in the police districts of Amsterdam–Amstelland, Haaglanden and Rotterdam–Rijnmond, for example, reported they occasionally felt unsafe in 2011. In these districts, the crime victim rate was also above average.

One quarter of the Dutch population aged 15 years and older were exposed to common crime in 2011, approximately the same percentage as in 2010, but the proportion has dropped considerably during the period 2005-2011. One in three residents reported they had been exposed to violent crimes, crimes against property or vandalism once or more than once in 2005.

The proportion of civilians who reported to have been in contact with the police was marginally lower in 2011 than in 2010 (30 and 32 percent respectively). Their satisfaction level regarding contact with the police has improved. Last year, 60 percent were (very) positive about their last contact with the police in their municipality of residence versus 57 percent in 2010.