Understanding the 'Ripple Effect' of Terror Incidents on Londoners' Sense of Safety and Social Cohesion

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

The recent terror attacks in Paris and Brussels sent shockwaves across Europe and beyond. This empirical study focuses on understanding the 'ripple effect' of these incidents on Londoners' perceptions of crime, sense of safety and social cohesion within their local communities. Data is drawn from the Public Attitude Survey (PAS), run by the Evidence and Insight Team at the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) in London. This survey captures the views of 12,800 respondents per annum on issues relating to policing, crime and wider issues within and across London's neighbourhoods. Using interrupted time-series analysis, the impact that the terror incidents in Paris and Brussels have on Londoners' overall sense of safety and social cohesion is explored. This study has important implications for the police, given that we know residents who live in collective efficacious areas are more likely to cooperate with the police, and that an inverse relationship exists between crime and social cohesion.

Authors

• Liam Fenn, University of Surrey

• Ian Brunton-Smith, University of Surrey