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Published: 02 February 2024

Levenmouth - February 2024 - Community Confidence Evaluation Findings

Category: Reports

Report Summary

This report summarises the key findings of the evaluation of new policing initiatives in Levenmouth as part of the final phase of the SPA and Police Scotland's Community Confidence Action Research Project in Levenmouth.

To access the full document please open the PDF document above.

To view as accessible content please use the sections below. (Note that some tables and appendixes are not available as accessible content)


Executive Summary

This report summarises the findings of the evaluation in Levenmouth as part of the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland’s Community Confidence Action Research Project.

Using a range of data (such as Scottish Government statistics) Levenmouth was identified as an area for this project. Since February 2023, we have conducted a survey gathering views on confidence in policing in Levenmouth in Winter and held a number of events over Spring 2023 to gather ideas on how confidence in
policing could be enhanced in the local area.

In Summer/early Autumn 2023 local policing in Levenmouth implemented a range of initiatives based on this community feedback. These included increasing community officer engagement, hosting pop up events, supervisors "walking the beat", holding a Quarterly Public Forum, creating a presentation giving an overview of policing, creating community leaflets/newsletter, revising social media approach, and promoting communications via Improving Levenmouth Together (ILT).

To evaluate the initiatives a three-pronged approach has been taken:

  • A survey with those 16 and over mirroring one conducted in Feb-Mar 2023;
  • Questions with children in local primary schools mirroring questions from February 2023; and
  • Conversations with community representatives

It should be noted that due to small sample sizes and the non-representative nature of the samples the findings of these surveys cannot be generalised to the entire Levenmouth population and should be considered indicative only.

16 and Over Survey

  • The majority of respondents didn’t notice any of the initiatives undertaken
    by local policing.
  • Overall, the rate of trust increased between Feb-Mar 2023 and Nov-Dec 2023. Rates of confidence recorded during this period remained ‘low’.
  • Those who were aware of at least one initiative tended to have ‘high’ confidence and trust in policing and felt local police were doing a ‘very good/somewhat good job’.
  • Those who were not aware of any initiatives tended to have low confidence and trust in policing and felt local police were doing a ‘somewhat poor/very poor job’.
  • A higher proportion feel Levenmouth does has a sense of community. There was an increase in those who ‘strongly agreed/agreed’ and ‘disagreed’/strongly disagreed’ between Feb-Mar 2023 and Nov-Dec 2023.
  • Comments on Levenmouth largely centred around anti-social behaviour, with some mention of police response times, police visibility, drugs, and a lack of police funding.

Under 16 Survey

  • The under 16 survey was distributed to the local secondary school in Levenmouth.
  • No responses were received for the under 16 survey. It is, therefore, not possible to determine if any changes in responses occurred compared to the previous survey from Feb-Mar 2023.

Community Group Input

  • The project was positively received in the community and by partners.
  • Members of the ILT found that the initiatives put in place had a positive impact on the local community.
  • The ILT have worked closely with the police in a range of areas which have contributed to community cohesion post-COVID.
  • Concerns have been raised around the non-engagement with young people in the community and increases in anti-social behaviour, and in ensuring that a stable local community inspector team remains in place to continue their positive work.

Related Publications

The documents below are related by Topic and are the most recently published

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Irvine Fullarton - February 2024 - Community Confidence Action Research Final Report

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Wick - June 2023 – Community Confidence Survey Key Findings

Published: 02 October 2023

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