ABU DHABI // Only a third of residents believe crime is a problem across the emirates, with the majority blaming alcohol, drugs and unemployment.
According to a YouGov survey commissioned by The National, 12 per cent of those polled felt crime was a “very big problem” and a further 18 per cent said it was “quite a big problem”.
Respondents believed the main causes of crime were alcohol (39 per cent), drugs (37 per cent), unemployment (32 per cent) and a lack of discipline from parents (32 per cent).
Researchers surveyed 131 Emiratis, 287 Arab expatriates, 530 Asian expatriates, 48 westerners and 12 others living in the seven emirates.
It revealed that specifically, when looking at Emirati respondents, 44 per cent believed drugs, alcohol (41 per cent), breakdown of family (32 per cent), peer pressure (31 per cent), unemployment (31 per cent), and lack of discipline from parents were the top causes of crime today.
“The most interesting thing is when you look at Emiratis, they believe drugs, alcohol and breakdown of family are the main causes for crime in the UAE,” said Lara Al Barazi, YouGov associate research director.
“When you compare with expatriates, drugs in particular have really been a really important factor for them. I have heard there are a lot of campaigns happening: awareness campaigns on how dangerous drugs are in the country and I think it is a relevant concern among Emiratis. They are afraid of that problem and they are quite aware of how serious that is.”
Other respondents said a lack of discipline from school, poverty and news coverage of crime in newspapers and television were contributing factors. Some blamed a rapidly expanding population, who are mostly expatriates, and a high cost of living.
Some said poor standards of living for labourers and a rich/poor divide were the triggers for criminal behaviour.
While a third (30 per cent) felt crime was a problem, many others disagreed. Of those, 48 per cent said crime was not much of a problem, and a further 15 per cent said it was not a problem at all. The rest were undecided.
“If you look at the positive side, the majority do not think crime is a serious problem,” Ms Al Barazi said.
Reza, 27, an Afghan expatriate who resides in Sharjah, said he felt safe living in the UAE.
“No there is no crime problem here,” he said. “I feel safe.”
He felt confident walking anywhere in the UAE, day or night.
His sentiments were echoed by Saira Ameen, 42, an Indian expatriate safety consultant who also lives in Sharjah.
“I am very happy living in Sharjah,” she said.
However, she felt the levels of pay in some sectors and unemployment were to blame for crime.
“Salaries are very low. Definitely. Also, unemployed people will turn to crime.”
Labourers and domestic workers were among those particularly low paid, she said.
The survey took a broad look at some crime and police issues facing communities including perception of safety, how secure people feel in their neighbourhood, personal crime and household security and the trust Emiratis and expatriates place in the police and the criminal justice system. The National will be revealing the results of the survey in a three-day series this week.
The 1,008 survey respondents were Algerians, Bahrainis, Egyptians, Iraqis, Jordanians, Lebanese, Mauritians, Moroccans, Omanis, Palestinians, Qataris, Saudis, Sudaneses, Syrians, Emiratis, Yemenis, Indians and Pakistanis.
More results of the survey will be published in The National tomorrow, looking at the public perception of police and the criminal justice system. On Tuesday, the survey will reveal the results of personal and household crime in the UAE.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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