This article is from page 8 of the 2013-11-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
PEOPLE in Ennis are being encouraged to contribute to a survey examining attitudes to safety and crime in the Clare county capital.
The Community Safety Research Project is being undertaken by the Ennis Purple Flag working group in conjunction with the University of Limerick.
In February, Ennis became the first Irish town to receive the Purple Flag. The award aims to broaden the appeal and improve the standard of nighttime destinations.
In September, the working group engaged in a public consultation process in Dunnes Stores, aimed at determining if people felt safe in the Ennis at evening and night.
Following huge interest and sign-up to the Community Safety Research, led by University of Limerick’s Politics and Public Administration Department, the full survey is now available from https://www.surveymon key. c om/ s / En n i s Commu n i t ySafetySurvey.
In addition to the online survey, focus groups and desk research will be done and the research results are aimed to be available in early 2014. Details and regular updates will be available from Facebook Visit En- nis.
According to Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG), a member of the Purple Flag working group, crime statistics show an ever-decreasing trend in Ennis over the past five years.
He states public order figures have been decreasing continuously and all crime figures in Ennis down. In the years 2009-2011, the Public Order offences were down by more than 25 per cent (compared to an average of less than 20 per cent decrease nationally).
When Ennis was awarded the Evening Excellence Award Purple Flag in February this year, the town was certified with having a wellmanaged, safe and vibrant evening and nighttime economy.
Cllr Flynn explained, “Having won the prestigious Purple Flag accreditation does not mean that there will never be any crime or safety issues, but it certifies that the town has an overall consistently good safety record and that a key priority of the town is in the successful management and prevention of crimes.”
He continued, “Our work through Purple Flag, since it’s very beginning two years ago, has been supported by the local Gardaí and we are hugely delighted to learn from them in the effort to make Ennis a safer place for everyone at any time.”