The Northern Ireland Policing Board (the Board) has published the results of the Community Policing Survey 2026.
This survey assists in monitoring delivery of Outcome 2 in the Policing Plan: We have safe and engaged communities with confidence in policing. A total of 217 responses from both individuals and organisations were received with responses received from all 11 Council areas
At a Northern Ireland level, the three most frequently selected issues for all respondents were ASB (17%), Drugs (use, addiction and dealing) (16%) and Traffic/Road Safety (14%). These key issues were the same in 2024 and 2023, interestingly the percentages for these three key issues were identical for 2026 and 2024.
The pattern for the top three issues is the same for individuals (ASB 18%, Drugs 16% and Traffic/Road Safety issues 15%) and organisations (ASB 16%, Drugs 15% and Traffic/Road Safety issues 11%).
This is in keeping with the most recent NI Safe Community Telephone Survey (NISCTS) published in July 2025, which states that the proportions of respondents who felt crime levels in their local area were either about the same or had fallen, remained similar. The proportions have remained relatively stable from 2020/21 (2023/24: same 65%, fallen 12%; 2022/23: same 64%, fallen 14%; 2021/22: same 62%, fallen 13%). (Findings from the 2023-24 NISCTS tables.xlsx Table 15).
Overall, sectarianism/paramilitary/hate crime (9%) ranked fourth in the list of key issues faced by communities, closely followed by Violence Against Women and Girls (8%).
The Community Policing Survey 2026 can be found here.
For further information please contact the Communications Office on information@nipolicingboard.org.uk