Community Safety Partnership

South Ayrshire Community Safety Audit

The most recent South Ayrshire wide Community Safety Audit was undertaken by Progressive Partnership, Edinburgh between October and November 2001, with the results published in March 2002.

The audit split South Ayrshire into 9 areas: Ayr (North) (not just the SIP area); Ayr (South); Girvan; Kyle Villages; North Carrick; South Carrick; Maybole; Prestwick; and, Troon.

A total of 1,050 people were questioned, and the quota of residents interviewed from each area is given below

Area	Target	Achieved
Ayr (North)	150	179
Ayr (South)	150	156
Girvan	100	104
Kyle Villages	100	108
North Carrick	100	85
South Carrick	100	118
Maybole	100	100
Prestwick	100	100
Troon	100	100
	1,000	1,050

The questionnaire used in previous audits formed the basis of the questionnaire used for this study to ensure that comparisons between studies could be made. The interview lasted approximately 15 minutes.

This sample size provides data which lies within +1- 3.2% of the true value at the 95% confidence level.

It should be noted that a sample of 100 provides data +/- 10% of the true value at the 95% confidence level.

Demographic Profile by Area
A breakdown of the people interviewed for the audit is given below:

Age Profile and Gender & Ethnic breakdown

	Total	Ayr North	Ayr South	Girvan	Kyle	Carrick North	Carrick South	Maybole	Prestwick	Troon
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Under 18	1	1	1	0	3	0	0	1	2	0
18-24	8	11	3	10	3	14	8	12	5	5
25-34	18	19	10	17	15	16	23	20	17	25
35-44	19	16	20	20	25	18	24	15	17	14
45-54	15	13	19	11	24	13	13	20	14	10
55-64	15	16	17	13	14	21	13	15	13	15
65+	25	25	30	30	17	18	20	17	32	31

Male	47	47	49	39	43	52	45	50	48	47
Female	53	53	51	61	57	48	55	50	52	53

White	99.8	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	98	100
Chinese	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Black	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0

Base	1050	179	156	104	108	85	118	100	100	100

South Ayrshire Community Safety Audit 2001 Executive Summary

Perceptions of Safety

90% of the total sample felt safe in their own homes, with the most safe areas being North Carrick (91% “very safe”), the Kyle Villages (83% “very safe”), and Maybole (75% “very safe”).
As would be expected respondents’ perceptions of safety fell when they left their homes after dark (30% “not very safe”, “not at all safe”).
North Ayr (57% “not very safe”, “not at all safe”), Troon (33% “not very safe”, “not at all safe”) and Prestwick (30% “not very safe”, “not at all safe”) are perceived to be the least safe areas in South Ayrshire when going out after dark.
The areas perceived to be the safest when going out after dark are North Carrick (92% “very safe”, “quite safe”) and South Ayr (80% “very safe”, “quite safe”).
In terms of demographic analysis, the older population (45% “not very safe”, “not at all safe”) tend to feel less safe than the younger population (25% “not very safe”, “not at all safe”) both in their own homes and when out locally. Females felt considerably less safe (38% “not very safe”, “not at all safe”) than males (23% “not very safe”, “not at all safe”) when out locally after dark.

Victim of crime

The overall majority of respondents (86%) had not been a victim of crime in the last 3 years.
Prestwick had the highest incidence of crime with 23% of respondents having been a victim of crime or anti-social behaviour in the last 3 years.
Vandalism (30%) and verbal abuse (30%) were perceived to be the most prevalent types of anti-social/criminal behaviour for the total sample.

Community Safety Issues

Traffic related issues were of most concern to the total sample. Respondents awarded each issue a score out of 10 where 1 meant it was of no concern and 10 meant they were very concerned. The higher the score therefore the greater the concern for residents.
The volume of traffic (5.83 mean score), speed of traffic (5.61 mean score) and pedestrian safety (5.08 mean score) were the dominant community safety issues for respondents, followed by behaviour of young people in the streets (5.04 mean score), drug abuse (4.91 mean score) and drinking in public places (4.76).
When given the opportunity to state “other” areas of concern, respondents reiterated concerns already mentioned and also that of dog fouling.
When analysed demographically, older people were most concerned about traffic issues, council tenants and younger people were most concerned about rubbish, broken glass, and drug abuse.

Environmental Appraisal

All aspects of the respondents’ environment were felt to have become worse, with mean scores of over 3 for each aspect (a score of I meant the situation had improved a lot and 5 meant the situation had got a lot worse).
The factor deemed to have become the worst was the amount of young people loitering (3.5 mean score).
Overall, North Ayr was considered to be the area which had worsened the most over the last 3 years with the highest mean scores for each aspect of the environment.
Girvan, the Kyle Villages, Prestwick and Troon were also perceived to have significantly worsened in the last 3 years in terms of the level of crime in those areas, with mean scores consistently above 3.
Ayr South and North Carrick were the areas where aspects of the environment were consistently more likely to have stayed the same or improved.

Awareness of Fire Safety and Home Security Advice

Almost half of respondents (49%) were definitely aware that advice on fire was available. Almost one third, however did not know the advice was available.
Awareness was greatest amongst higher socio-economic groups, AB, (55%) and amongst males (53%) and home owners (53%).
South Carrick were least likely to be aware of the availability of the fire safety advice (53%).
6 out of 10 respondents claimed they did have a “Fire Action Plan” for their family.
Just over half of respondents (52%) were aware that a free Home Crime Prevention Survey was available from Strathclyde Police
Again they were most likely to be male (55%), home owners (57%) and in the higher socio-economic groups (AB 57%).
Awareness was lowest amongst those living in the Kyle Villages (44%).

Accidents in the Home in the Last 3 Years

A small minority of people (3%) had experienced an accident in the home in the last 3 years.

The full Community Safety Audit document is available on request from South Ayrshire Council’s Community Safety Unit, County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr, KA7 1DR.

Tel: 01292 616615