Lights in dark apartment buildings in Helsinki. Photo: Vesa Moilanen / Lehtikuva
- Previous Article Stubb: Next 48 hours will show US response to Middle East crisis
- Next Article Finland hosts NATO-aligned air exercise for first time
Ninety percent of Helsinki residents feel generally safe in the city, according to a new survey by the city’s Urban Research and Statistics Unit. The study found that perceptions of safety have remained stable since the last survey three years ago.
Over half of respondents described their own neighbourhood as safe. Around one-third said it was fairly safe. The results were based on responses from 6,205 people aged 15 to 79. The survey reached 12,000 residents in autumn 2024 through random sampling.
Daniel Sazonov, Mayor of Helsinki, said the city must maintain its safety levels and address disparities. “Helsinki continues to be perceived as a safe city and must remain so,” he said. “We must respond to weaker safety perceptions among women and young people with new measures.”
Safety levels fluctuate based on location and time. The survey noted that evening and late-night hours, particularly at weekends, raised more concerns. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they felt unsafe walking alone in the city centre late on a weekend evening. Around 60 percent said they felt at least fairly safe, while 14 percent were unsure.
Differences in safety perception also appeared across age and gender. Over one-third of women felt unsafe in the city centre during late weekend evenings, compared with under one-fifth of men. Among respondents under 20, more than 40 percent reported feeling unsafe at those times. In contrast, only about one-quarter of middle-aged respondents shared that concern. Older people were more likely to say they did not frequent the city centre at such times and could not assess the safety.
Jari Liukku, Chief of Police for Helsinki, said police operations had improved in response to these concerns. “We now arrive faster than ever in emergencies, have increased surveillance in high-risk areas, and ensure crimes are solved efficiently,” he said. He added that collaboration with the city and other partners must continue to adapt as the urban environment changes.
Despite the overall positive trend, just over half of respondents believed safety had declined in the past three years. Forty percent thought it had stayed the same. Seven percent believed it had improved. The city noted that people’s views might be influenced by media reports and awareness of risks faced by other groups.
The city conducts the safety survey every three years to track changes in residents’ perceptions. This approach helps guide city policy and police cooperation.
HT
- Previous Article Stubb: Next 48 hours will show US response to Middle East crisis
- Next Article Finland hosts NATO-aligned air exercise for first time
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
