Safety Trends
Rotorua District Council tracks community safety trends in two ways:
- How safe residents feel in Rotorua (perceptions of safety survey)
- Rates of crime (Rotorua District crime statistics).
Perceptions of Safety Survey 2011
The presence of Rotorua Police in the CBD is a factor contributing towards local people feeling safe in the city. However many local residents are becoming more concerned about crime levels in Rotorua according to the Rotorua District Council (RDC) commissioned 2011 ‘Perceptions of Safety Survey’.
The 2011 survey conducted by APR Consultants during March and April interviewed more than 400 residents throughout Rotorua district.
Survey results reveal that feelings of safety within the CBD during night time have significantly increased, with 31.9% of respondents stating they now feel ‘very safe’ or ‘safe’ compared to 24.7% in 2010.
Factors making respondents feel safe in the CBD during the night-time included the presence of other people (49.6%), lighting (29.1%), the presence of police (12.6%) and security cameras (7.1%).
The majority of people (85.9%) stated they felt ‘very safe’ or ‘safe' in the CBD during the daytime but this was down 5% from 2010 (90.9%).
RDC community safety officer Amy Duckett says the council and police are now working together with local retailers to put initiatives in place to keep the CBD safe.
“Reasons for feeling unsafe in the CBD during the daytime included the presence of ‘undesirable people’, groups of young people, bad reputation and the atmosphere, and we’re keen to try and reduce those barriers to people feeling safe in the city.
Other significant findings from the survey include:
- At night-time, 88% of respondents felt either ‘very safe’ or ‘safe’ in their home, the highest in all recorded survey periods to date.
- During the day-time, the majority of respondents (91.8%) felt either ‘very safe’ or ‘safe’ in their local neighbourhood, a similar figure to 2010 (91.1%) and an improvement on 2009 (88.8%).
- During the day-time, 95% of respondents felt either ‘very safe’ or ‘safe’ in their own home, similar to the results of 2010 (95.8%).
- The number of respondents who have experienced someone gaining entry into their home or garage without permission in the past 12 months increased to 15%, the highest for this indicator since 2006.
- Strangers had physically abused 7% of respondents over the past 12 months (ie, hit, kicked or punched them or used other violence against them), the largest in all recorded survey periods.
- A total of 56 respondents (14%) stated that they had witnessed, or been a victim of a crime that they had not reported to the Police – an increase of 2.9% over 2010.
“As a result of information we’ve gathered from the perceptions of safety survey we can identify which areas need further attention and whether we’re on the right track with our safety initiatives,” says Mrs Duckett.
“RDC will continue to work with police, community groups and local businesses to develop ongoing crime prevention programmes.”
The Rotorua Police Area Commander, Inspector Bruce Horne, says he is pleased to see the vast majority of the people surveyed feel safe in their home or neighbourhood at all times of the day and night.
"The results relating to people's perceptions of safety in the CBD are not surprising given some of the activity that has taken place in the CBD recently. We feel confident that the joint initiatives being developed by the Council, local retailers and Rotorua Police will make a significant improvement in this area."
Inspector Horne says the most concerning component of the latest survey is that 14 per cent of respondents said they had witnessed or been a victim of crime but had not reported that to Police.
"That there has been an increase in the non-reporting of crime is a significant concern to us. The sooner we are notified of a crime or suspicious activity, the sooner we can respond and the better chance we have of apprehending those responsible.
The Perceptions of Safety Survey is an annual consultation with the Rotorua community to get a snap-shot of how people feel about various local safety issues.
Rotorua District Crime Statistics
Treasure Rotorua
'International Safe Communities' is a World Health Organisation (WHO) model for local communities to address safety initiatives through the building of local partnerships.
Click here to read more about International Safe Community Designation for Rotorua (pdf 18kb)