How Safe Do you Feel Reporting Crime in Public?
Reporting Crime: What’s Really Holding People Back?
Our findings reveal a stark reality behind community reporting behaviour. While theft and violence top the list of incidents people say they’re most likely to report (nearly 1 in 2 combined), an overwhelming 3 in 4 admit they've felt discouraged from reporting altogether.
Why? The reasons are deeply human: fear of retaliation, living near offenders, bad past experiences, confusing processes, and a lack of trust in confidentiality. One of the responses was: "I didn’t want to become part of it."
When it comes to reporting methods, 6 in 10 still prefer calling emergency services but nearly 4 in 10 would rather stay anonymous, showing just how important privacy and psychological safety are in these moments.
Add to that the reality that half believe it takes over 24 hours to get a response for non-emergency reports, and it’s no surprise that 4 in 10 say they feel less safe after reporting - not more.
So what would actually help? People want:
More visible police presence
Faster and clearer responses
Anonymous options
Real-time tracking of their reports
In short, awareness alone isn’t enough. Until reporting feels safe, responsive, and human, silence will continue to win out over action.
Please view the visual and enhanced results here.
