Contents |
To assess security risks it is important to use data from the targeted researches of experiences, attitudes and responses of the public, apart from statistics. It is not possible to correctly determine the share of immediate personal experience of people and what the influence of mass media, which present crime and violence, is on the formation of attitude.21) The results of research indicate that it is necessary to take into account updates of economic issues in parts of the public. A part of the people, of course, expresses concerns relating to security risks -especially an organised crime, drug addiction and a general rise in aggression and violence in society. Therefore, we can expect further extension of relative social deprivation feeling, which could strengthen subjective concerns of the citizens, mainly in the area of perception to security risks. On the other hand, a part of the population seems to adapt to the risks, not only by decreasing their subjectively declared concerns, but also by adapting their behaviour.
The last research confirmed discrepancy between the feeling of security at home and in the street (in the evening, in the environs of their home). The inhabitants of Prague and smaller cities (10 - 50 thousand inhabitants) felt safer in homes in the evening. The security situation is worse perceived in larger cities (over 100 thousand inhabitants). The data from the research held in 1999 and 1995 illustrate the direct trend towards a reduction of concerns. It comes to light also in subjective evaluation of crime development, which is the most favourable in relation to the place where people live. If people realise the risk, they usually act actively (they avoid risky places and certain people, they are accompanied by another person). This is typical mainly for women. In terms of coping with the risk rather, people rely on themselves or institutions. Better technical security is typical today (security of property together with personal security). Internal security risks are considered to be a priority. System risks the threats are seen particularly to be outside the country.
Opinions of people relating to the actual risk copy the statistical picture of a crime structure to a certain extent. The sequence of concerns which follows resulted from the research of the whole population (by the proportion of “big concerns”, i.e. answers 8 - 10 on the ten point scale). The majority of items demonstrate increased concern22):
1998 | 1999 | |||
41 | 44 | (% of the total number of interviewed people) | ||
40 | 38 | |||
17 | 21 | |||
17 | 20 | |||
12 | 14 | |||
11 | 16 | |||
10 | 14 | |||
11 | 13 |
The estimation of probability that “something like that happens” is closer to the risk concept and it should be based on a rational assessment of the situation by an interviewed person. The comparable items of the probability are falling down (again by the criterion of “large probability”, points 8 - 10). The sequence of risks by probability can be summarised as follows (the missing data are marked by the asterisk, from 1999 we have used the same sets of items for both “concerns” and “probability”
1998 | 1999 | |||
* | 29 | (% of the total number of interviewed people) | ||
* | 29 | |||
20 | 26 | |||
17 | 24 | |||
13 | 13 | |||
7 | 10 | |||
12 | 9 | |||
7 | 8 | |||
6 | * | |||
6 | 6 | |||
4 | 5 |
The data relating to the average concern of a car theft or a car accident, which are in first place, are misleading, because 76 % of interviewed people owned a car in 1999. Correlation to the age is significant - older people express concerns relating to crimes against property, while younger people are concerned of sexual offences. The wealthy people differ from the other persons by a higher index of concerns relating to crimes against property (car thefts, burglary), then nuisance, murders or rape. In assessment of probability the opinions of the interviewed people more or less correspond.
The long-term researches of the IVVM agency show that the confidence in social institutions has been stabilised. The proportion of people who do not trust the institutions is approximately the same. (As for the trust of police it is closely under 60 %). In research held in 1998 (J. Buriánek), full or partial trust in the police was declared to be 52 % of the interviewed people. (Even 60 % of the interviewed people in 1999). In the large cities (except for Prague) the attitude of people, in terms of trusting the police, is more critical. Educated and wealthy people trust the police more than young people and people in the lower social levels. The rising trends of satisfaction with police work are indicated by the omnibus surveys conducted by IVVM (1990-1998). A higher extent of confidence was also confirmed by the research held in 1999 (J. Buriánek) and by long-term surveys conducted by the STEM agency (1997 - 2000). The public only criticises a “lower visibility” of the police, a bureaucratic approach and suspicion of corruption. The estimates concerning successful achievement of the police in solving individual kinds of crime are also interesting:
Estimate average (= assumed achievement percentage) | |
Theft of a wallet in the street, in a shop | 11 |
Theft of a bicycle in the house where you live | 19 |
Car theft | 34 |
Rape | 53 |
Bank or post-office robbery | 56 |
Murder | 59 |
The prestige of being a policeman is gradually stabilising at a better level (the similar level as a journalist's job or a foreman in a factory - according to IVVM research). The information needs of the people relating to police work are more or less met by the mass media.23)
Finally, we can say that to form an approach to crime is a complex issue. “It especially requires a reasonable professional solution. In no case should it induce political issues. Police work should not be in doubt or always reassessed when there is a crisis in the society, loss of social security or internal tension. The police should not concentrate their efforts to public relations, to building up the positive picture in the public because the “presentation” could exceed the police in the streets. Society learns how to actively protect against security risks and improves the professional systems to have the risks under control. However, a large portion of crimes, which are not cleared up and punished (and development of some other pathological phenomena), can devastate the potential of a so far “patient” society towards an “irritated” society, as well as to a “wild and rude society”...”24)
For more details concerning victimisation of citizens and assessment of security situation by citizens see Annex to this report - J. Buriánek.: “Current Trends of the Public's Attitude to Crime”. Signal information from the research “1999 Security Risks”.
2. Crime, Development in Individual Kinds of Crime and Security Risks