Response to ONS Personal Safety Survey

Responding to a new ONS survey on perceptions of personal safety, Claire Harding, Research Director at Centre for London said:

 “This new and informative data set shows that people’s experiences of public spaces vary enormously across different groups and the country.

 “Londoners are less likely to feel safe in public after dark than other Brits and are more likely to avoid certain places at night, and it’s much worse for women and for people with disabilities. Londoners are also more likely to have experienced harassment over the last year such as being catcalled or feeling physically threatened in a public space.

 “This chimes with recent polling published by Centre for London with Savanta which found that over a third of Londoners (36 per cent) believed street harassment had increased in their neighbourhood over the last 12 months.

 “Londoners deserve to feel and be safe in their city, and confident to enjoy all the city has to offer. National and local government, the Mayor of London and the Met Police must give full consideration to people’s experiences of place when making decisions about public safety, street design and policing. The government should also ensure that the new Safety of Women at Night Fund considers different issues within and between towns and cities.”