Poll finds decline in confidence

PUBLIC confidence in the police service is declining at the same time as fear of crime is growing, according to an opinion poll published today, writes Terry Kirby.

The Mori poll for the April issue of Reader's Digest shows that 93 per cent of people say their concern about crime has increased in the past few years, a rise of five percentage points since a similar poll in 1989. The figure follows a rise of more than 40 per cent in crime in the past five years.

Since 1989, which has seen many miscarriages of justice and allegations of police malpractice, the number of people prepared to say 'our police are wonderful' has dropped by one-third - to 42 per cent from 62 per cent in 1983. Although 66 per cent felt they could trust the police, the figure is only 55 per cent among under-25s, from 75 per cent in a 1989 poll.