Parisians feeling increasingly safe despite terror threat
Evie Burrows-Taylor - [email protected]
Published: 5 Sep, 2017 CET.
Updated: Tue 5 Sep 2017 15:17 CET
Despite the string of terror attacks in Paris since 2015, Parisians feel secure, according to the latest in-depth survey by the Paris region's Urban Planning Institute
The results of the enquiry, which attempts to gauge how safe residents of the French capital feel going about their daily lives, are published every two years.
Conducted by market research company Kantar TNS, the survey, introduced in 1998, asks 10,500 people living in the Paris area, aged 15 and up, a series of "rigorous" questions to see how far people living there feel secure.
And the results were perhaps a bit surprising. According to data from 2014, 2015 and 2016, "just" 50.6 percent of people surveyed felt in greater danger than before, compared to 68.2 percent in 2001.
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This shows that despite the November 13th attacks in 2015, as well as a series of other terrorist assaults, including those on soldiers and policeman, people are not letting fear dominate their lives.
But this doesn't mean to say that they don't think it's a problem, with 62.2 percent of the respondents considering it "the most worrying problem for French society", according to the survey published in the French weekly Le Journal de Dimanche.
The "historic" drop also goes for people's feelings on the amount of delinquency, for example thefts and assault, in the region.
The survey showed that 47.8 percent of people had been through these experiences during the period, compared to 53.4 percent in 2001.
People also feel that thefts without violence are on the decline.
Indeed, only sexual violations and those committed by people close to the victims have stagnated at 1.4 percent compared to 1.3 percent.
The overall improvement in people's confidence extends to other areas of daily life too, with people living in Paris or the Paris area feeling increasingly safe on public transport (38.1 percent compared to 43.8 percent in 2001), when going home at night (19.8 percent compared to 29.1 percent in 2001), as well as at home (7.7 percent compared to 8.3 percent).
And despite 57.3 percent of people surveyed saying that they put up with nuisance behaviour in their area, including loud neighbours, drug problems and vandalism, this doesn't affect they way they live their lives.
As a result, 92 percent of them believed their area to be an agreeable place to live.
"This is a serious and very interesting survey that sheds light on those selected to take part. I'd like to extend its scope," said Frédéric Péchenard, from the right-wing Les Republicains party, who looks after security in the area.
The ex-police officer went on to say that "the first results were encouraging" and were largely the result of "the state of emergency and the presence of police officers and soldiers in the region".
The final and more detailed version of the report is due to be published by the end of the year.
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The results of the enquiry, which attempts to gauge how safe residents of the French capital feel going about their daily lives, are published every two years.
Conducted by market research company Kantar TNS, the survey, introduced in 1998, asks 10,500 people living in the Paris area, aged 15 and up, a series of "rigorous" questions to see how far people living there feel secure.
And the results were perhaps a bit surprising. According to data from 2014, 2015 and 2016, "just" 50.6 percent of people surveyed felt in greater danger than before, compared to 68.2 percent in 2001.
READ ALSO:
This shows that despite the November 13th attacks in 2015, as well as a series of other terrorist assaults, including those on soldiers and policeman, people are not letting fear dominate their lives.
But this doesn't mean to say that they don't think it's a problem, with 62.2 percent of the respondents considering it "the most worrying problem for French society", according to the survey published in the French weekly Le Journal de Dimanche.
The "historic" drop also goes for people's feelings on the amount of delinquency, for example thefts and assault, in the region.
The survey showed that 47.8 percent of people had been through these experiences during the period, compared to 53.4 percent in 2001.
People also feel that thefts without violence are on the decline.
Indeed, only sexual violations and those committed by people close to the victims have stagnated at 1.4 percent compared to 1.3 percent.
The overall improvement in people's confidence extends to other areas of daily life too, with people living in Paris or the Paris area feeling increasingly safe on public transport (38.1 percent compared to 43.8 percent in 2001), when going home at night (19.8 percent compared to 29.1 percent in 2001), as well as at home (7.7 percent compared to 8.3 percent).
And despite 57.3 percent of people surveyed saying that they put up with nuisance behaviour in their area, including loud neighbours, drug problems and vandalism, this doesn't affect they way they live their lives.
As a result, 92 percent of them believed their area to be an agreeable place to live.
"This is a serious and very interesting survey that sheds light on those selected to take part. I'd like to extend its scope," said Frédéric Péchenard, from the right-wing Les Republicains party, who looks after security in the area.
The ex-police officer went on to say that "the first results were encouraging" and were largely the result of "the state of emergency and the presence of police officers and soldiers in the region".
The final and more detailed version of the report is due to be published by the end of the year.
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