The Northern Ireland Policing Board (The Board) today published the research and statistical report ‘Northern Ireland Policing Plan Survey – Statistical Report 2025’. It is an Official Statistics publication.
The report is based on a survey of 2,500 adults which took place between January and April 2025. It presents results on perceptions of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs), the Northern Ireland Policing Board (the Board) and the National Crime Agency (NCA).
SUMMARY
This is the third survey of this nature, directly commissioned by the Board in relation to the 2020-2025 Policing Plan. The report covers the following areas:
WE HAVE A SAFE COMMUNITY
- Nine in every ten people surveyed (91.5%) felt safe in their community. This is a similar result to 2022 and 2023 when 92.4% and 93.1% of respondents respectively felt safe in their community.
- Almost three-quarters (72.9%) thought the PSNI were either effective or very effective at keeping their community safe and this was similar across all age groups. Of those who had been a victim of crime, more than half (58.4%) felt the PSNI were effective or very effective at keeping their community safe.
- Fewer than two in every five people (38.4%) were concerned about crime in their area. This is a decrease on the 2023 survey results (40.9%) but higher than the 2022 figure (37.7%). There was a corresponding increase in respondents who were unconcerned or very unconcerned about crime in their area (60.9%), up from 59.0% in 2023 but lower than the 2022 figure (61.4%).
- Nearly four in every five respondents (79.2%) felt safe going into their nearest town centre. However, this was a decrease of 6.0 percentage points on 2023 (85.2%). In the same way, the proportion of those who felt unsafe or very unsafe (18.2%) increased by 4.1 percentage points from 14.1% in 2023 and 10.6% in 2022. One quarter (25.7%) of those in the most deprived multiple deprivation quintile felt unsafe. The range was 14.6% to 19.6% in other areas.
- The survey asked respondents if they thought the police were visible in their area and three in every five (60.6%) thought they were not. This has risen by 5.5 percentage points since the 2023 report (55.1%) and is also higher than the 2022 figure (58.6%).
WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN POLICING
- The survey asked if respondents were satisfied with the job the PSNI do in Northern Ireland. Two thirds (67.5%) were satisfied or very satisfied, a decrease on the 2022 and 2023 figures (72.0% and 71.9% respectively). One in ten were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied (9.2%).
- Two thirds of respondents thought the PSNI treat the public fairly (66.3%). The level of satisfaction decreased by 1.6 percentage points from the 2023 survey (67.9%), however there were more respondents who reported being very satisfied in 2025, compared with 2023 (29% and 23.4% respectively). Victims of crime were more than twice as likely to be dissatisfied with how the PSNI treat the public (17.3%) than those who were not victims (8.0%).
- Nine in ten respondents (92.1%) were confident in contacting the PSNI if they needed to, however this fell to 82.7% of those who had been the victim of a crime. Of those who had been in contact with the police in the previous two years, half (52.2%) were satisfied with their interaction.
- The survey asked if respondents felt the PSNI was representative of their community. Nearly two thirds (65.8%) thought it was representative; an increase from 62.2% in 2022 but a decrease of 5.0 percentage points since 2023 (70.8%). Almost three quarters (73.8%) of unionists felt the PSNI was representative of their community, while for nationalists this was fewer than three in five (58.2%).
WE HAVE ENGAGED AND SUPPORTED COMMUNITIES
- Two thirds of respondents thought the PSNI were engaged with the local community (63.8%). This was a decrease from the 2023 figure (67.9%), but in line with the 2022 survey (63.7%).
- Three quarters of respondents (67.0%) thought the PSNI was supportive of the local community. This has decreased by 7.6 percentage points from 2023 (74.6%) but is similar to the 2022 survey (68.4%). Those who thought the PSNI were not very supportive or not at all supportive has remained constant across the three surveys, at 20%.
- Of those who had been the victim of crime in the last two years, almost all (88.6%) had contacted the police. The most frequently reported crime was violence, followed by harassment, then robbery/burglary (personal property/business).
- For those who had not been victim of a crime, the primary reasons given for contacting the PSNI were road traffic issues/breakdown (including rail/marine) followed by antisocial behaviour, a suspicious incident or for a domestic incident.
- Those respondents who had been a victim of a crime in the last two years and who said they had not reported the crime were asked the reason or reasons for this. The most frequent reason given by respondents was that they didn’t think the police could help them, followed by those who didn’t think there was a need to, didn’t want to waste police time or were afraid to contact PSNI.
NI POLICING BOARD, POLICING AND COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIPS AND NATIONAL CRIME AGENCY
- Overall awareness of the Policing Board in the current year has risen to 87%, which is the highest level since 2014. Of those aware of the Board, two fifths (40.5%) felt they were satisfied with the job the Policing Board do. Over a quarter (28.9%) were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
- Three out of five respondents were aware of the National Crime Agency (61.8%) and of those, two out of five (41.5%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the job it does in Northern Ireland, a decrease on the 2022 and 2023 figures (46.7% and 46.2% respectively).
- Two in five respondents had heard of PCSPs (40.2%), an increase on the series low of 37.7% in 2023. Of those who had heard, one third of respondents (31.4%) thought the role of PCSPs was to communicate or liaise with local communities, similar to the 2023 figure (31.7%). The second most stated role for PCSPs was to improve community safety (24.4%).
Ends
Notes for Editors
The Board issue a Policing Plan and a Performance Plan, both are key legislative responsibilities. The 2020-2025 Policing Plan outlines three outcomes for policing to deliver to the people of Northern Ireland. The Policing Plan Survey is one method the Board uses to monitor performance and progress in three outcomes:
Outcome 1: We have a safe community.
This is about tackling crime to make communities safer and ensure people feel safe.
Outcome 2: We have confidence in policing.
This is about building community and confidence in the work of the PSNI.
Outcome 3: We have engaged and supportive communities.
This is about building the relationship between police and the community.
The survey also explores the perceptions of the Policing Board, National Crime Agency (NCA) and Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs).
Official Statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs and are produced free from any political interference. They are also subject to restrictions in terms of pre-release access.
The bulletin is available in PDF format from either the Northern Ireland Policing Board website https://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/policing-plan-survey or by writing to
Northern Ireland Policing Board
James House, Block D
2-4 Cromac Avenue
The Gasworks
Belfast BT7 2JA
or email: statistics@nipolicingboard.org.uk
Press queries about this publication should be directed to the Northern Ireland Policing Board Press Office on information@nipolicingboard.org.uk