Wanted: Nosier Neighbours
They have been ridiculed for decades, labelled as busybodies and snoops, but new research out today reveals that over half of Brits (56 per cent) think having “nosey neighbours” is the most effective antidote to burglary and domestic crime - with more than one in five (21 per cent) actively wanting their neighbours to be nosier.
According to the study by esure home insurance(1) , three quarters of people (72 per cent) felt that the police were more likely to respond to a call from a neighbour than a burglar alarm. Despite of this, the same number of respondents (72 per cent) said that they would ignore a house alarm going off and less than one in ten (9 per cent) would definitely investigate the sound of a car alarm in their own street.
Homes with ‘less than basic’ home security measures are six times more likely to be victims of burglary (5.8 per cent) than households with ‘basic’ security (0.9 per cent) and ten times more likely than households with ‘enhanced’ home security measures (0.6 per cent)(2). In addition, the latest figures suggest homeowners who are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme are less likely to be victims of household crime (burglary and criminal damage) with 13 per cent of households who were members of a scheme being victims of household crime, compared with 19 per cent of those who were not(3).
Whilst the majority of people questioned (62 per cent) want their neighbours to be nosier and class them as “assets” as opposed to “nuisances” – encouraging for the Government and its “Big Society” manifesto that aims to “support the creation of neighbourhood groups across the UK”(4) – they are resistant to be seen as nosey neighbours themselves due to the negative connotations that come with that title.
Indeed, one in seven people (14 per cent) surveyed say they are put off joining a Neighbourhood Watch scheme through fear of being labelled a “busybody” – perhaps explaining why there has been dramatic reduction in households belonging to a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the last ten years (16 per cent are members compared to 27 per cent ten years ago)(5).
Professor Elizabeth Stokoe, Department of Social Sciences at the University of Loughborough comments: “From my research it is clear that there is a fine line between being neighbourly and being nosey. Yet by virtue of living next door or across the road, and without paying special, ‘nosey’ attention, people become intimately acquainted with relative strangers in terms of their everyday routines, such as their daily trips to school or the shops; their regular visitors; their domestic and working practices.
“In terms of community and security, this form of ‘public intimacy’ means neighbours may notice small variations in the mundane rhythms of each others’ lives that they may check on, to the benefit of neighbourly relations on the street. In this way, the negative connotations of being a ‘nosey neighbour’ may come to be replaced by the more cohesive notion of a ‘noticing neighbour’.”
Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure home insurance, said: “Improving home security is an effective way to deter burglary, but the most effective devices are our own eyes and ears. Alarms are often ignored but people get through.
“As we spend less time in our own homes, knowing that our neighbours have an eye on what’s happening in the area is hugely reassuring. Although many of us are apprehensive about being perceived as a busybody, this research shows that our neighbours are more likely to be thankful.
“There’s nothing burglars fear more than curtain twitchers who are quick to spot anything untoward taking place. We may offer comprehensive home insurance, but we also know that prevention is always better than a cure.”
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
People in London were the least likely (43 per cent) to investigate a car alarm in their own street, while people in Scotland were the least likely to investigate a house alarm (58 per cent).
Nosy neighbours were given the thumbs up by more than two thirds of Scots (69 per cent) who said they were the most effective antidote to burglary and domestic crime – the highest in the country. The biggest demand for curtain twitching was in London where more than a quarter (26 per cent) said they wanted their neighbours to be nosier.
The West Midlands was home to the highest proportion of people (18 per cent) who said that the fear of being labelled a ‘busybody’ put them off joining a neighbourhood watch.
Region most likely to investigate a car alarm going off in their street
1. North East
2. West Midlands
3. Yorkshire
4. East Midlands
5. = North West
5. = South East
5. = South West
8. Eastern
9. Wales
10. Scotland
11. = London
11. = N. Ireland
Region most likely to ignore a house alarm going off in their street
1. North West
2. West Midlands
3. = North East
3. = Yorkshire
5. N. Ireland
6. Eastern
7. Wales
8. = South East
8. = South West
8. = East Midlands
8. = London
12. Scotland
Region that wishes their neighbours were nosier
1. London
2. North West
3. = Eastern
3. = Scotland
5. South East
6. South West
7. Yorkshire
8. West Midlands
9. Wales
10. East Midlands
11. N. Ireland
12. North East
- Ends -
esure’s press contacts:
For further information please contact the esure press office at Mischief PR on 020 7100 9999 or email esure@mischiefpr.com
An ISDN line is available for radio interviews
Notes to Editors:
(1) esure used the independent online research company FlyResearch who surveyed 1,145 adults from across the country aged 18 and over, between 20th and 25th July 2010. Fly Research is an online market research company. Its researchers are members of the MRS and Esomar, and abide by their guidelines. Further information at www.flyresearch.com.
(2) British Crime Survey 2009/10 (published July 2010)
(3) British Crime Survey 2006/2007: Circumstances of crime, Neighbourhood Watch membership and perceptions of policing (published May 2008)
(4) Building the Big Society, Cabinet Office (published 18th May, 2010)
(5) British Crime Survey 2006/2007: Circumstances of crime, Neighbourhood Watch membership and perceptions of policing (published May 2008)
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