A large number of Londoners believe there should be more police foot patrols, according to a recent study.
The recently released London Police Service 2017 Public Needs Survey shows that 61.7% of area residents who took part would like to see an increase in foot patrols.
“This survey an important barometer that provides important input as we develop the three-year business plan,” said Police Chief John Pare in a news release. “It, along with input from several community consultations, helps us to understand where the people we serve would like to see our efforts focused.”
Londoners also identified drugs, traffic-related concerns, property crimes, violent crime and mental illness as their top five issues of concern. Police said while these concerns are the same as in 2014, the frequency with which some were cited significantly increased. Specifically, mentions of drugs increased by 54.8%, traffic increased 17.5% and mental illness went up by 36.2%.
“With fentanyl and other opioids making their way into London and the pending legalization of cannabis, it is not surprising that Londoners ranked drugs and drug-related crime as the top concern,” said Pare.
About 88.8% of those surveyed said they are satisfied with the quality of policing in London, which is a slight drop from 89.2% in 2014.
The survey was distributed to 5,000 random households in September of 2017, and is used to help develop pf the 2019-2021 Business Plan. Around 24% of the surveys were completed.
The full results of the 2017 Public Needs Survey can be found by clicking here.