Few Surrey residents feel safe in the community

Surrey Central. Photo credit: CDP Photography Canada

Only 13 per cent of people feel safe in Surrey, compared to other regions in Metro Vancouver, an Angus Reid Global poll has reported. The poll, commissioned by Vancity, found that Surrey residents are not as satisfied about their community when compared to those who live in other regions.

Danielle Kobelka, a Whalley resident, won’t go anywhere alone because she’s terrified of walking by herself.

“There are so many gangs that have taken over. I don’t go anywhere alone, not even to the mall,” she said.

According to Mike Larsen, a criminology professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the reactions largely depend on where someone lives, because not all areas of Surrey are at high risk for offences. While some areas may be concerned about gangs and organized crime, others, such as Newton, may be concerned with petty crimes, drug dealing or gun activity. There is a combination of crimes that people are concerned about.

It is evident that crime and public safety are still top concerns for residents. An Insights West poll revealed that 55 per cent of people say crime is currently the most important issue. In the recent mayoral election, Linda Hepner, Doug McCallum and Barinder Rasode all made community safety a key component in their platforms. The candidates likely felt that this issue should be addressed in light of the two high-profile, violent crimes that Surrey has experienced within the last year: attacks on hockey mom Julie Paskell and teenager Serena Vermeersch.

Even though crime is an important topic, the concern for public safety comes when crime rates are down. According to a Vancouver Sun article, the overall crime rate has dropped 11 per cent since 2009. Violent crime has also dropped by 37 per cent in that same time, however, so there’s still room for improvement. There are some spikes in crime, but it doesn’t mean that there’s a crime wave.

“Surrey does have its peaks and valleys with respect to crime,” said Sergeant Dale Carr, the Surrey RCMP media relations officer. “However, over the long range we’ve been doing pretty [well], especially when you factor in the growth that Surrey has experienced and the downward pattern experienced in crime.”

Larsen said that there’s sometimes a confusion between perception and reality.

“There’s not a direct correlation between people’s perception and what’s actually going on in terms of the volume and severity of the crime,” he said. “Information about crime rates and crime severity in Surrey [may not be] available in a publicly accessible way that an average person can get. If there’s not enough reporting on these issues, it’s easy to raise concern and fear.”

Political leaders and the news can create a sense of fear when they showcase random, violent crimes such as the murders of Paskell and Vermeersch. The media can lead people to believe that things are out of control, especially when random and violent crimes occur. According to a journal article by Ritendra Tamang, the overrepresentation of violent crimes distorts crime and, in turn, the public overestimates its frequency and misperceives reality.

Residents shouldn’t have to worry about their personal safety because of random attacks that took place in Surrey. At the same time, they have a right to be concerned, because both of those high-profile incidents took place near Newton.

“You can see why people [are concerned] because those attacks are unusual types of crime and most crimes are not violent and random,” Larsen said. “Crime usually takes place between people who know each other.”

Although many Surrey residents fear crime, it’s important that they understand it. If everyone understands crime and what’s going on, they’ll be better equipped to prevent it and feel safer where they live.

“You can address concerns about public safety, simply by informing people about what’s taking place,” said Larsen.