Adopting the Signal Crime Perspective to explain fear of crime in a mixed urban neighborhood

• In Event: Urban Dynamics and Community Safety

Abstract

This study explores the dynamics of fear of crime within a mixed urban neighborhood in Rotterdam, employing the Signal Crime Perspective (SCP) as a foundational framework. Through a mixed methods approach that integrates residents’ viewpoints, focus groups with professionals direct observations and municipal statistics we delve into how specific crimes or acts of disorder – termed as signal crimes or events – act as signs of insecurity for the residents.

Our findings introduce a novel dimension to the SCP by highlighting not only the impact of signal crimes and events but also the role of 'signal people', including confused individuals, homeless people, and drug users contributing to perceptions of insecurity.

Instead of the frequency of signals, our findings emphasize the influence of the mere occurrence of a wide span of signals, ranging from minor disturbances to disorder and crime. The study however also confirms the SCP assumption that the accumulation of weak signals can exert as much influence on safety perceptions as a single, strong signal (amplification). Additionally, the research indicates that the visible signals do not uniformly affect all residents' sense of security, suggesting a process of normalization for some within the community.

By illustrating the intricate ways in which a variety of signals work in the context of a neighborhood, this study extends the SCP, offering new insight in the interplay between signals and perceptions of security.

Author

• Havva De Bruin, Education/Research