Public perception on crime

1. Public perception is that the crime level in the country increased in 2010. Out of every 100 heads of household interviewed at CMPHS 2010, 80 felt that the level of crime has gone up in 2010. 2. However, only 30 out of every 100 heads of household perceived that crime in their neighborhood was on the increase.

Around 23% of heads of households were of the opinion that the crime level in their neighborhood was higher than that of the country in general. 39% = same level, 38% = lower People living in urban areas had the same opinion as people living in rural areas regarding the level of crime in their neighborhood as compared to the whole country. RURAL: Higher: 22% Same :36% Lower:42% URBAN: 24% 44% 32%

 Evolution of crime in neighborhood over past 12 months Around 30% of heads of households felt that crime level in their neighborhood had increased over the last 12 months. Conversely, 20% felt it had decreased whereas 50% were of the opinion that it had remained the same. There is a strong co-relation between the opinion on the perception of actual crime level & the evolution of crime in neighborhood. 80% of those who remarked that crime level in their neighborhood were higher compared to that of the whole country felt that crime in their neighborhood had constantly been going up over the past year. 85% of those who felt that crime in their neighborhood was lower compared to the whole country thought that their neighborhood was becoming safer or staying as safe over the past year. There is a strong feeling among the heads of household irrespective of age, sex or region that the level of crime in the country has gone up during 2009-2010. 8 out of 10 heads felt that way of whom 6 were of the view that the level has raised a lot.  Victimization Vehicle theft & attempts of theft Of all households owning a vehicle, 4% were robbed of their vehicle in the past year, and another 3% were either victims of an attempted theft or vehicle parts & accessories were stolen.

Out of every 100 vehicle theft & related offenses registered in the survey, 43 vehicles were parked on household premises. Around 40% of vehicle theft & related offenses were reported at the police. Heads of the household reported all van/car thefts, 80% reported motorcycle theft, while only 50% reported bicycle thefts. More than 60% of those who reported vehicle theft & related offences were satisfied with the way the police dealt with them.  Household burglary Out of every 100 households, 4 were victims of burglary & 2 of attempted burglary. This rate did not vary much among the different household income groups. Out of all household burglaries and attempted burglaries reported, 40% occurred in the least advantaged regions and 13% occurred in the most advantaged regions. While 60% of the committed household burglaries were reported to the police, more than 60% of the attempted burglaries went unreported. Half of those who reported committed and attempted household burglary were satisfied with the way the police dealt with them.  Personal theft About 3% of household heads, reported that a member of their household had been a victim of robberies like bag & chain snatching, mobile phone & credit card etc. 12 months prior to the interview. Some 40% were robbed of their mobile phone. Out of every 10 person robbed, 6 were females, and around 3 were in the age group of 19-30. One of every 10 victims said that they were injured during the robbery. Only 45% of victims reported the incidents to the police, of whom half were satisfied with the way the police dealt with them.