Community Safety
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When was the survey carried out?
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October 2013
What was the purpose of this consultation?
The purpose of the consultation was to measure people’s perception of crime and anti social
behaviour in Wrexham County Borough. It is critically important for Wrexham Community
Safety Partnership to understand these perceptions as one of their key objectives is to ensure
that people in the County Borough feel safe.
Did you provide feedback to participants?
Feedback was given to members of the Peoples Voice panel.
How was the consultation publicised?
The consultation was carried out through the Peoples Voice.
How many responses did the consultation receive?
278 surveys were completed yielding a response rate of 52%
How did WCBC use the results and what, if any, changes will be made following this
consultation?
These results will be used to inform the Community Safety Partnership of key issues sighted in
the research that can inform the development of their ongoing reassurance programme.
Community Safety
• Over 9 in 10 (92%) residents feel safe when out and about in Wrexham County Borough during
the day while only 8% feel unsafe.
• However, fewer residents (52%) feel safe when out and about in Wrexham County Borough
after dark while 48% do not feel safe.
• Almost all residents feel safe outside in their local area during the day (98%) or at home during
the day (98%). Around 9 in 10 residents feel safe in Wrexham Town Centre during the day on a
weekday (92%), at home after dark (92%) or in Wrexham Town Centre during the day at the
weekend (91%). Fewer residents feel safe outside in their local area after dark (68%) or in
Wrexham Town Centre after dark on a weekday (53%). Moreover, less than two fifths (38%) of
residents feel safe in Wrexham Town Centre after dark at the weekend.
• Around a quarter (26%) of residents report that they have personally been a victim of crime or
antisocial behaviour when at home after dark in the last three years. Over 15% of residents have
been a victim whilst outside in their local area after dark (19%), at home during the day (18%) or
in Wrexham Town Centre after dark at the weekend (16%). Generally, fewer residents report
that they have been a victim in situations that were in the day (as opposed to dark) for instance,
outside in their local area during the day (10%), in Wrexham Town Centre during the day at the
weekend (7%) or in Wrexham Town Centre during the day on a weekday (6%). However, only 6%
report that they have personally been a victim of crime or antisocial behaviour in Wrexham
Town Centre after dark on a weekday.
• Half (50%) of all residents think that the level of crime has increased in Wrexham Town Centre in
the last 12 months, while over two fifths (43%) think it has stayed the same and 7% think it has
decreased. In contrast, less than a third (30%) of residents think that the level of crime in their
local area has increased in the last 12 months, while three fifths (60%) of the residents think it
has stayed the same and 1 in 10 residents (10%) think it has decreased.
• Almost three fifths (58%) of all residents think that the level of antisocial behaviour has
increased in Wrexham Town Centre in the last 12 months, while over a third (36%) think that it
has stayed the same and 6% think it has decreased. Again, fewer residents think that the level of
antisocial behaviour has increased in their local area (35%), while over half (55%) of all residents
think it has stayed the same and 1 in 10 residents (10%) think it has decreased.
• Over half (51%) of the residents agree that North Wales Police and Wrexham County Borough
Council are dealing with crime and antisocial behaviour in Wrexham County Borough; less than a
third (30%) disagree. It is also worth noting that almost a fifth (19%) of residents neither agree
nor disagree with this.
• When asked what are the most common types of crime in their local area,
vandalism/graffiti/damage to property was chosen most frequently with around three fifths
(61%) of residents doing so. Over half (52%) of residents think alcohol related antisocial
behaviour is one of the most common types of crime in their local area. Between two fifths and
a half of residents think that driving offences (e.g. speeding motorists) (49%), theft from/damage
to parked cars (46%) or drug use (45%) are the most common types of crime in their local area.
• With regard to types of crime residents are most afraid of in their local area, domestic
housebreaking (e.g. burglary from homes) was chosen most frequently with around 7 in 10
(71%) of residents doing so, while over two fifths (45%) report alcohol related antisocial
behaviour as a crime they are most scared of. Between a third and two fifths of residents report
theft from/damage to parked cars (38%), drug dealing (38%), drug use (35%) or alcohol related
crime (33%) as types of crimes that they are most afraid of.
• Panel members were asked if there is anything that they think local public services could do to
make them feel safer in their Local Area and Wrexham Town Centre. One of the most frequent
responses given was more police presence.