Press release

¾ of Winnipeggers feel safe walking alone at night

November 1-30 is National Community Safety and Crime Prevention Month - how is Winnipeg doing?

November 18, 2014

November 1-30 is National Community Safety and Crime Prevention Month - how is Winnipeg doing?

Peg tells us…

In 2014, 73% of Winnipeggers felt safe walking alone at night in their neighbourhood – down slightly from ten years ago (78% in 2004). Though Winnipeggers’ perceived safety has varied from year to year, the overall trend is stable.

The facts are:

  • This question is part of the City of Winnipeg’s Citizen Survey, and has been asked eight of the last 13 years.
  • 2012 saw the lowest result of any year, at 61%, while 2013 saw the highest, at 82%.

Why Does this Matter?

  • Perceived safety is an important indicator of people's comfort within their neighbourhoods. Research shows it can affect behavior, including the activities they take part in, their mode of transportation, and places they go.
  • Close to two out of every five Canadians have taken precautionary measures to protect themselves from crime within the past year (Statistics Canada, 2009).
  • Other factors that impact peoples' perceptions of safety include demographics (e.g., age, gender), socioeconomic status (e.g., income), and the built environment (e.g., lighting).

* More detail and source data for the above facts available at http://www.mypeg.ca/more-info, under the Perception of Safety tab

More facts on this subject available at:

 

Available for interviews:

On how to understand the data:

Charles Thrift

IISD, Project Manager

(204) 958-7752

cthrift@iisd.ca

 

A community-based program making a difference:

Heather Leeman

Executive Director, Block By Block Initiative

(204) 582-1657

hleeman@blockbyblockproject.ca

 

A city-wide program making a difference:

George Jarvis

President, Block Parent Program of Winnipeg(204) 284-7562

bppw@mts.net

 

 

About us:

Regularly, the team at Peg releases data and facts that help us understand our city better. This is one of those regular reports. Others can be found at http://www.mypeg.ca/blog.

 

Peg measures the health of our community year over year – in ways that count. It is the starting place for Winnipeg citizens, educators, policy makers, and many others to learn more about our city so we can lead change to create a better city for our children and their children.

 

At Peg we can all learn how our lives, our neighbourhood and our city is changing – for the good and the bad. Learn more at www.mypeg.ca.

About IISD

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 250 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

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