Perceptions of public safety in the Auckland CBD - New Zealand Police

A discussion of some of the results of the Auckland City District Police customer satisfaction survey

By Dr Cathy Casey, Institute of Public Policy, AUT University
and
Prof Charles Crothers, School of Social Sciences, AUT University

October 2005


Abstract

Earlier this year, the Institute of Public Policy at AUT University carried out a customer satisfaction survey for the Auckland City District Police. One of the aims of the survey was to examine perceptions of public safety in the Auckland city?s central business district (CBD). In particular the survey investigated (1) public use of the CBD; (2) people?s perceptions of public safety within the CBD; and (3) whether people?s views on safety within that area had changed over the last five years.

In this article, Casey and Crothers firstly review the research which has been undertaken on behalf of Auckland City and which has addressed the issue of public safety in the CBD. They also examine the strategies council has developed which may have a bearing on the issue of CBD safety.

The authors then discuss the findings of the Auckland City District Police customer satisfaction survey 2005 which canvassed the usage and perceptions of safety in the Auckland CBD among three discrete population samples:- 820 random householders; 209 senior college students and 117 international tertiary students.

Finally, the authors discuss the implications of the survey results for the various joint police/council initiatives to improve CBD safety and make a number of suggestions for actions which might impact positively on future perceptions of safety in the Auckland CBD.

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Table of contents

Abstract
A: AUCKLAND CBD - SAFETY, STRATEGIES AND RESEARCH
Auckland City CBD
Safer Auckland City
Children and Safety in the CBD
Perceptions of CBD Public Safety - Research
B: SAFETY IN THE AUCKLAND CBD - SURVEY AND NUMBERS
Customer Satisfaction Survey
(i) Randomised telephoned sample
(ii) Domestic students sample
(iii) International students sample
Characteristics of the samples - gender
Characteristics of the samples - ethnicity
Characteristics of the samples - age
Characteristics of the samples - income
Frequency of visits to the CBD
Reasons for visiting the CBD
Perceptions of safety in the CBD
Change in perception of CBD safety in last five years
C: SAFETY IN THE AUCKLAND CBD - WHAT PEOPLE SAID
Telephoned sample
Reasons for feeling "safe" in the CBD
Reasons for feeling "unsafe" in the CBD
Domestic students sample
Reasons for feeling "safe" in the CBD
Reasons for feeling "unsafe" in the CBD
International students sample
Reasons for feeling "safe" in the CBD
Reasons for feeling "unsafe" in the CBD
D: SAFETY IN THE AUCKLAND CBD - DISCUSSION
CBD usage
Feeling safe in the Auckland CBD
Reasons for feeling safe
Increased police presence
Safety initiatives
People loitering in the CBD
Crime in the CBD
Summary
References
Appendix

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