Safer In the City?
A new survey says Indianapolis residents feel more safe and better about the city than they have in years.
The IUPUI Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management sampled nearly 600 people over three weeks at City Market.
Nearly 55-percent of respondents said they felt either safe or very safe in the downtown area after dark. That number was 34 percent in 2008 and 2007; 38 percent in 2006; and 44 percent in 2005. The number of people who reported they felt very unsafe downtown was under 4 percent. That was down from 11 percent in 2007. An overwhelming 86 percent of respondents said they felt safe or very safe in the downtown are during the day; a five-year high.
A record number of respondents also said they said they felt good about the way the city looks and feels in regards to issues relating to crime, theft and police presence.
So if all this is true, who should get the credit?
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:01 am
I guess after yesterday's assault, some of those respondents might be revising their opinions.
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Are any details about this survey published on the web? I would sure like to see how it was all put together.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:13 am
Varan,
The problem is that nobody ever looks at the methodology of these studies. They just report the results. I remember reading a survey on obese cities and some of the criteria was how many health clubs, how many fast food restaurants, etc. People see the result and assume they are going around surveying people's weights v. heights. They are not.
Not sure the methodology here. Just surveying people who come into the city market though would not give you a very representative sample of the community. The biggest bias in surveys though is the wording of the question. Depending on the wording of the question, you can get people to take almost any position.
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:35 am
The first paragraph works for way too much “science” being researched around the world. Too many Ph.Ds striving to be relevant so they can garner tenure and/or bolster their own self-importance (politics lives in academia!). Also, there is way too little understanding on the part of the non-academic world on what goes on in those ivory towers behind closed doors.
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:42 am
The FBI Uniform Crime stats show that, nationally, violent crime rates went down a small fraction each of the last two years. For any one agency to boast they've 'reduced crime' is probably foolish. At least until they have a solid longer-term trend to point to.
Heck, people staying home more due to the economy COULD account for it just in that there are fewer targets on the street for the criminals.
Locally, we have had several very violent home-invasions the last few months. Bank robberies and carjackings, too. So next year's numbers MIGHT see an upward tick.
One thing's for sure, we WILL see that uptick before long. That's just the way it fluctuates.
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:52 am
My first reaction to the results was, I agree. I feel safer when I go downtown. Also safer in this circumstance:
I have rental properties in town. I've made a habit of paying more attention to them, at odd times of the day/month. The police presence on the eastside, in particular, is ramped-up way beyond prior levels. My observations are unscientific, but the difference is obvious.
I think multiple things changed this.
One: we were complacent as a city. Took safety for granted. We had warring factions within MCSD and IPD. It wasted resources, talent and demployment options.
Two: The Hamilton Avenue murders shook us to the core. They were brutal, senseless and shocking.
Three: As much as some of the posters here might like to think otherwise, it appears to me the police merger worked for efficiencies, patrol methodology and sheer manpower/deployment.
The merger worked even though there were multiple internal roadblocks, including the sheriff.
The downtown atmosphere is purely personal to anyone who travels there, or works there. For the most part, I'd think, if you're downtown, you like being there or have to be there (work). Hardly an objective audience.
Taking all this in, I begrudgingly admit that this mayor has the makings of a success story. It is an important success. It helps make up for the multiple bunglings in other arenas.
But for this issue, give the man his due. He insisted on an IMPD-in-charge approach. He won the day, and for multiple reasons, in a horrid economy (which should mean higher crime), we evidently feel safer.
By any measure, that's the political equivalent of a hat trick.
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:44 am
Now if we could get IMPD to be proactive rather than reactive, we might see some progress.
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:45 am
Just a meaningless statement from a person from miles away from Indy out in the sticks—-my preception of Indy and particularly downtown is not one of personal safety. Of course, my primary sources of information are the evening news from the various Indy channels–no comfortable feelings there. But the bottom line is I do avoid meetings and events in Indy as much as possible and particularly downtown. Right or wrong is not really important but preception is—. Bottom line also is as a person with some input into activities occurring or not occurring downtown (meetings and conventions) my preception plays a major role in my input. Reality.
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:06 am
agman, you've got a very good point.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:02 am
Wow, agman. I have never, ever heard that opinion shared by anyone in your similar position. Ever.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:49 am
You don't get out of town much then? My wife used to work down in the Center Grove area and she heard from many sources that those sources had never been downtown, and weren't ever planning on coming downtown.
And for some, “downtown” means just about anything inside the 465 loop, too.
That perception is vitally important, trumping almost anything else, including facts, is an important point.
As a keen observer of politics TA, you should acknowledge that perception is all too often more important than the truth.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I'm not saying I disagree, Varan…I've just never heard it expressed that way before. Ever. And I have friends and relatives, as well as business associates, all over the nine-county area.
I doubt that attitude is pervasive, but if it exists anywhere, it should be recognized and dealt with. It's incorrect as hell, but…people form opinions base don multiple things, some good, some bad, some wrong…
December 4th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
varan…you do realize that agman's “perception” is code for “there's black and Hispanic people inside 465″, don't you?
December 4th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Thundermutt: you are reaching far beyond anything you could know—I am not a racist and my phobias have nothing to do with the race of people in the area. Simply I have no desire to go into downtown Indy and do not go to Indy unless necessary –did go to north side this week but never something I look forward to doing. Actually a combination of not liking big city traffic, streets, and other things—the personal safety is an issue along with the other factors. Have turned down employment if involved downtown location. For TA and others you are not very much aware of the thinking of many “out in the country” and perhaps simply not used to the daily reports of violence.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Indyundercover,
Just an FYI. Expect some tense relationships between Public Safety and the 25th floor over recent insurance issues. Apparently, someone will not be honoring contractual issues and may be looking to prune the public safety budget.
December 5th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Indyundercover,
Just an FYI. Expect some tense relationships between Public Safety and the 25th floor over recent insurance issues. Apparently, someone will not be honoring contractual issues and may be looking to prune the public safety budget.