Survey indicates half of Helsinki residents believe the city's security situation has deteriorated

Study team surprised by apparent fear of immigrants

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Roughly half of the Helsinki residents questioned said that they felt the city's security situation had worsened in the three years since the last survey was taken.
      The City of Helsinki examined the sense of security in the city felt by locals and visitors, and the results are published today, Tuesday. The last such comprehensive assay was made in 2006.
     
Answers from respondents on such matters as the sense of safety they feel in public transport - buses, trams, the Metro - were much the same as in 2006.
      For example, around 60% felt that travelling on the Metro in the evenings contained either a moderate or strong element of insecurity.
      Roughly half had the same views when out and about in the city centre after dark, but nearly 80% felt safe in their own residential area regardless of the time of day.
     
What was new and surprising to the compilers of the study was the residents' opinions on the influence of immigrants on city safety.
      Of those who felt that things had got worse on the security front, no fewer than 70% listed immigrants as a reason for the development, even though this was not included as a specific alternative on the questionnaire sheet.
      Respondents were troubled by the increasing number of immigrants. Immigrants were also associated in the minds of those taking part with crime and disturbances.
     
The City's Johanna Seppälä, project manager at the Safety and Preparedness Co-ordinating Division, reported that the results had surprised the survey team.
      She estimated that the recent prominent media coverage of matters relating to immigrants may go some way towards explaining the outcome.
      "Whatever the reason, this is such a strong signal of the city's mindset that a good deal of work will have to be done to respond to it", said Seppälä on Monday.
      "If we do not intervene in possible problem-areas now, the situation in a couple of years could be very serious."
     
Seppälä feels it is critically important to avoid a situation where different areas of the city have a starkly different tone.
      "We do not want problem suburbs in Helsinki, into which people are afraid to go".
      Aside from concerns about immigration, the Helsinki residents expressed worries over marginalisation, passive indifference, the lack of any sense of community, street violence and the threat of it, the security on public transport, and road safety in general.
      The survey was taken by 765 Helsinki residents and visitors.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Rail operator VR intensifies security watch on capital area stations and local trains (3.1.2008)
  Fear of violence increases on regional transport in Helsinki area (16.12.2005)

See also:
  Kaisaniemi Park second most feared place in central Helsinki (3.9.2007)

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