“Frustration” as survey shows again people “do not feel as safe as they should” in Wrexham as “reality is Wrexham is a very safe place to be”

Members of the public are being asked again to put forward their views on their perceptions of safety in Wrexham, as the results of a previous survey have been published.

The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is currently carrying out a survey on how safe residents who live in the county borough feel in their area and also while visiting the town centre.

North Wales Police, Wrexham Council, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the National Probation Service, HMP Berwyn and Wales Community Rehabilitation Company are all members of the CSP.

The survey, which is carried out annually, is undertaken to find out “about feelings of safety in Wrexham and the issues that have an impact on this, in order to help us decide on the priorities for our local community safety plan.” Last year’s survey found that ‘high-visibility policing’ and ‘action to tackle anti-social behaviour’ were the two most popular responses.

74% said they had witnessed ‘drunken behaviour’ and 74% referred to witnessing drug related activities.

A high number of open responses throughout the survey also referred to the ‘visible vulnerable’ in the town.

In response to the results of last year’s survey, Chief Executive Ian Bancroft, said: “It’s really encouraging that the survey indicated that most people feel safe in their homes and neighbourhoods.

45% of people said they felt ‘a bit unsafe’ in the town centre during daytime, with the unsafe/very unsafe score rising by nearly 10% year on year. That figure for night time is down slightly year on year, with 77% people scoring town ‘a bit unsafe / very unsafe’ but 2% better than last survey. Respondents under the age of 18 were more likely to feel ‘Very unsafe’ in the town centre after dark (61%) compared to other age groups (average of 46%).

Mr Bancroft said , “However, it’s frustrating that people maybe don’t feel as safe as they should in the town centre because the reality is that Wrexham is a very safe place to be”.

High visibility policing and action to tackle anti social behaviour ranked vastly higher than other suggestions on what people felt would make them feel safer both at home and in the town centre. ‘High visibility policing’ was the most popular answer in 81% of wards. It was also the most popular answer for those age 71 and over (61%), compared to just 14% for those aged 18 or under.

This year’s survey is now available online for residents to take part in and have their say on their own views of safety in Wrexham.

Questions for participants include how they would rate their fear of crime in Wrexham compared to other UK towns and what has influenced their decision. This could include personal experience, national or local media coverage, experiences of friends and family, word of mouth or comments seen shared on social media.

There is also the chance to comment on any issues that members of the public may have seen or experienced within a two mile radius of their homes. Options include antisocial behaviour, drug taking, fly-tipping, vandalism, graffiti or underage drinking.

The final questions focus on the town centre specifically – including how safe you feel when visiting during both day and night, the reasons you may not have visited and why.

Participants are then asked to select one option that they feel would make them feel safer when visiting the town.

In 2018 we detailed the results of a previous similar survey, as such data is used by various organisations to inform them as they make decisions on your behalf.

You can take part in the survey on the YourVoiceWrexham website until January 31st.