| Three quarters say UK has become more dangerous |
Three quarters of people in Britain believe it has become a more dangerous place to live in the last 10 years, according to a new survey.
When asked which crimes people were most afraid of in their own neighbourhoods, 56% said burglary and 35% said car crime.
One in five said they would not go to the police if they had information about a crime, the survey of 1,000 people by the Crimestoppers Trust charity said.
One in eight said they would not get involved if they knew a crime was being committed in the area they live in - among council tenants that rose to nearly one in four.
Some 44% said they feared a revenge attack might prevent them from reporting a crime and 42% of 16 to 24-year-olds said that knowing the perpetrator of a crime would make them less likely to report it.
More than a third of 16 to 24-year-olds said they would not report someone they knew to be a drug dealer.
Some 77% said they would be prepared to use an anonymous phoneline to report crime, compared to 61% who said they would go to the police, according to the survey to mark National Crimestoppers Week.
Crimestoppers director and former Deputy Assistant Commissioner at New Scotland Yard Roy Clark said: "Criminals fear being identified to the police and rely upon the understandable doubts some of the general public has about becoming directly involved.
"The anonymous phoneline ensures the safety of the caller but often leads to the arrest and charge of the criminal."
The freephone Crimestoppers number is 0800 555111.
Story filed: 00:01 Tuesday 18th September 2001
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