Contextual and multifactorial influence on perception of safety from crime among selected Malaysians

Despite official crime figures showing a continuous decline in the rate of crime, the perception of the high level of crime by many Malaysians suggests other factors are affecting their perception of safety from crime. The objective of this study is to identify and understand these factors through a qualitative study that employs online focus group discussions. This study argues that the perception of safety from crime is the result of interactions of a number of factors such as the experience of victimisation, crime information, neighbourhood conditions as well as the perception of law enforcement and government crime reduction policy. The sense of safety from crime is also contextual as it may fluctuate according to time, place, activities and situations. Analysis of the data from the focus group discussions found that participants generally have a high perception of safety from crime. However, participants felt less safe when they were in public places and when interacting with online services. In most circumstances, participants' sense of safety is affected by the pressure to be vigilant and to avoid criminal victimisation. This pressure is exacerbated by low-quality information on crime that is often received through social media. Crime information on social media has a significant impact on participants’ perceptions of crime. The overall analysis of the findings suggests that the most important factor which affects the perception of safety from crime among these selected Malaysians is their sense of safety in their homes and their neighbourhood. Hence, efforts to increase the sense of safety among Malaysians should focus on this context.

SAFETY, SOCIAL RELATIONS AND SATISFACTION IN POSTDISASTER RESETTLED COMMUNITIES: A CASE OF KEDAH, MALAYSIA

This research aims to study the changes in physical and social patterns among tsunami victims in Kedah, Malaysia by examining the relationship between their perceptions of safety and satisfaction. Data were obtained through a questionnaire survey on 109 respondents who live in Taman Permatang Katong, a new housing area built by the federal government. Results indicated the positive relationship between perception of safety and satisfaction. Meanwhile, social relations played a mediating role on the relationship between perception of safety and satisfaction. This finding implies that those who perceived the new resettlement area to be safer reported higher levels of social relations and, consequently, higher levels of satisfaction. Overall, the majority of residents in Taman Permatang Katong are satisfied with their new houses after the tsunami and feel safe in their area of residency. In conclusion, the resettlement programme should be well planned and should consider both social and physical aspects to improve the well-being of residents.

Assessment of commuters’ perception of water transportation safety and patronage in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

Water transport being among the oldest mode of transport is crucial to the development of any nation. It provides means of transportation for both rural and urban dwellers, particularly along the coastal areas and inland waterways. It is a known fact that water transportation has been neglected for a long period by both the government and the private sector, particularly in the area of safety of passengers on Lagos waters. This paper examines the perception of safety and the use of water transportation among passengers within Lagos metropolis. The jetties were purposively determined. Using a random sampling technique, a structured questionnaire focusing on socio-economic characteristics of passengers, use of water transport, reasons for the use of water transport, perception on safety and frequency of water transportation usage were administered to 1050 passengers across the selected four jetties (Liverpool, Falomo, Bayeku, and Ijegun Egba) within the metropolis with a response rate of 86.3%. The step-wise multiple regression results show that passengers’ perception of poor safety of water transportation predicted a significant 78.1% of reluctance to travel by water within Lagos metropolis (F = 27990.685, p<0.05). This study, therefore, recommends that the state government should provide adequate safety measures that could repose confidence in passengers in order to increase patronage of water transportation. This singular act could help to reduce the incessant traffic congestions on Lagos roads.

IoT as Non-Phaarmaceutical Interventions for the Safety of Living Environments in COVID-19 Pandemic Age

The outbreak of the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic has changed our perception of safety in shared and public living environments including healthcare facilities, shops, schools, and enterprises. The Internet of Things (IoT) represents a suitable solution for managing anti-pandemic smart devices (e.g., UV lights, smart cameras, etc.) and increasing citizens’ safety in public health crises. In this paper, we highlighted how IoT technologies can be exploited as non-pharmaceutical interventions presenting the SAFE PLACE project as an implementation of this concept. The project meant to design and develop an IoT system to ensure the safety and salubrity of shared environments. Advanced algorithms will be exploited to detect and classify humans’ presence, gathering, usage of personal protective equipment, and considering carefully the privacy protection of individuals.

AN ASSESSMENT OF USER PREFERENCE IN ARTIFICIAL PATHWAY LIGHTING IN URBAN PARKS; Cases from Greater Colombo region

Urban parks are critical in converting cities to liveable spaces, where artificial lighting directly affects the users’ night-time experience. This study explores the urban park users’ preferences in artificial pathway lighting, through their subjective responses towards Brightness, Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT), and luminaires of the existing lighting design, at four popular urban parks in Colombo. The reasons for the said preferences were investigated under three overarching themes: perceived safety, perceived quality of light, and restorative experience. A mixed methods approach was employed for data collection, where questionnaires were used together with measurements, in-situ observations, and photographic analysis for better understanding. The user preferences were found to be directly associated with their perception of the lit environment. The existing brightness levels are insufficient for majority of the users and has affected their perception of safety. The poor selection and placement of luminaires have negatively affected the lighting quality, while the positive effect on the users’ restorative experience has induced a higher preference towards the CCT of the light sources. The results revealed that the majority of the users opted for changes in the current lighting design, indicating that the user needs and requirements are not effectively addressed in this regard.

Calidad del entorno urbano y percepción de seguridad de las mujeres. Comparación de dos barrios de Cuenca, Ecuador

Most cities have been planned and built based on a universal subject: a male, healthy, paid, and middle-aged worker. As a result, cities have become an environment that makes social inequalities visible as they hinder the daily lives of the most vulnerable groups. Among these groups are women. In this context, this research looks to present the results of a study that aimed at determining the influence of the quality of the urban environment on the perception of safety for women in two neighborhoods, with different quality of life indices, in the intermediate city of Cuenca, Ecuador. The case studies were the Rio Sol neighborhood, whose quality of life index is one of the highest in the city, and Ciudadela Los Eucaliptos, which, despite being only 500m from the previous one, has a medium-low quality of life index. Methodologically, 3 tools were applied: e-MAPS, to determine the urban quality of the two neighborhoods; an adaptation of the Urban Diagnosis with a Gender Perspective (DUG, in Spanish), to measure the safety perception of women; and non-participant observation. The results showed there are differences in the urban environment quality index between the two neighborhoods, but that these are not directly related to the perception of safety. Non-participant observation suggests that there are other factors that make up neighborhood life, that affect women's perception of safety.

Tourist's Perception of Safety in the Republic of Croatia in 2019

This research has examined the attitudes and perceptions of tourists that visited the Republic of Croatia (RH) during the summer of 2019 about the perception of safety in RH, especially on general security, as well as food safety, personal safety, epidemic safety, and natural disasters. Also, we have examined the confidence in Croatian services, such as the police, rescue services, medical emergency, etc. Almost all the safety components were above 4, which indicates that the tourists in Croatia feel safe and trust the services. This research could be a significant tool for improving the policies for attracting the tourists during and after the pandemic.

Does COVID-19 Affect Safety and Security Perception in the Hospitality Industry? A Romanian Case Study

The objective of the article is to analyze, based on social exchange theory, the different risk and safety perceptions of employees and customers in the hospitality industry regarding the protections against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in an emerging market, namely in Romania. To this end, a questionnaire was administered simultaneously to both categories in Romanian hospitality units obtaining a sample of 561 employees and customers in the sector. While the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 virus has generated a lot of diverse research, studies focused on this particular topic, also regarding both customers and employees, were much less exploited. Therefore, eleven working hypotheses were formulated. It was highlighted that there is a positive perception of safety at work for employees, and jobs are protected from disappearance due to the pandemic through active measures taken by the organization. Employees do not show a significant desire to change jobs due to the new working conditions. The magnitude of safety measures taken had a positive impact on the customers, and customers do not pose a significant threat in hospitality industry units regarding the possibility of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The paper enlarges the understanding of behavioral effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, while from a managerial perspective the results are particularly useful for hospitality industry owners in order to attract and retain employees and to communicate and develop better relations with customers.