Do you Feel Safe in the Urban Space? From Perceptions to Associated Variables

Abstract

This study aims to provide answers to the following questions: Do you feel safe at Historic Centre of Porto (HCP)q Do you think that crime is increasingq What are the most and less frequent crimesq And the most feared crimesq What conditions promote criminal occurrencesq What incivilities occur at HCPq What measures can be taken to increase securityq What variables are related to the perception of insecurityq Through the application of the Diagnosis of Local Security Questionnaire, 554 participants that attended HCP were assessed (58.5p women, mean age = 43.82). One in five participants reported feelings of insecurity due to the presence of crime/danger. Robbery, theft, and drugs traffic were perceived as the most common crimes; participants were especially fearful about robbery and theft. Nationality, education, criminal variables, adequacy and satisfaction with policing, seek for formal support, and years living/studying/working at HCP were variables related to perception of (in)security.