L’Economiste-Sunergia survey: Is insecurity in public places a cliché?
Do Moroccans feel safe in public places? In recent months, there has been growing criticism of the rise in crime and the increasing number of assaults. For the authorities, this is more a matter of perception, which does not reflect the reality on the ground. According to the Ministry of the Interior, daily monitoring of the fight against crime shows that the security situation is normal and under control. The law enforcement services’ action plan has achieved significant results, helping to maintain the feeling of safety at high levels. This is confirmed by the results of the latest L’Economiste-Sunergia survey, which showed that 82% of Moroccans feel safe in public places. Only 15% said they felt unsafe. These data show « significant differences « from those revealed by the 2022 survey, notably with an « increase in the feeling of safety «.
In detail, unsurprisingly, men feel safer in public places than women, at 84% and 79% respectively. In fact, 18% of women feel unsafe, compared with only 13% of men. By age group, it is the 18-24 year-olds in particular who have the highest rates. 87% of them feel safe, compared with 84% of 45-54 year-olds and 83% of 55-64 year-olds. On the other hand, senior citizens aged 65 and over and young people aged 25-34 feel the most insecure, with 19% and 20% respectively.
What are the causes of insecurity?
In the public authorities’ efforts to increase the sense of safety, attention has been focused on certain aspects of crime that are of particular concern to public opinion. In the latest L’Economiste Sunergia survey, Moroccans were asked about the factors that contribute to increased insecurity in public places. The factor that came out on top was unemployment. 44% of those questioned pointed to idleness as a source of insecurity. Other factors mentioned included drugs (34%), lack of education (29%), thieves (8%), lack of police in the streets (6%), and poverty (4%).
Rural areas safer!
in territorial terms, the majority of people living in the South (90%) said they felt safe, compared with 83% in the North-East and 74% in the Centre. The security rate is also higher in rural areas than in cities, at 90% and 77% respectively. Socio-professional categories do not seem to have an impact on feelings of security or insecurity, insofar as the rates are virtually the same, with between 81% and 82% of people claiming to feel safe in public places.
M.A.M.
