Survey: One in Four Viennese Feels Unsafe in the City

People in Austria feel safe, but less so than five years ago. This is the result of a representative study presented on Monday by the Association of Security Companies in Austria (VSÖ). The association surveyed around 1,400 private individuals between the ages of 16 and 75 and more than 600 security officers online about their sense of security, even before the rampage in Graz.

Police Enjoy the Trust of Austrians

55 percent stated that the security situation in this country has been developing in the wrong direction since 2020. Nevertheless, the feeling of security is "extremely high" in international comparison, VSÖ spokespersons emphasized to journalists. After all, 84 percent consider Austria a safe country. The greatest concerns are shown by the Viennese - 25 percent feel "rather unsafe" or "not safe at all" in the federal capital.

Across all age groups, the police are by far the most important guarantor of security, with 79 percent considering law enforcement officers a crucial security factor. This is followed by civil courage (45 percent), laws (42 percent), and surveillance technologies in public spaces (41 percent). However, the military is not very convincing. With 23 percent, it falls significantly along with private security service providers and security services when asked about essential security factors in the country.

After Graz: VSÖ Wants More Strictness with Weapons

In light of the rampage in Graz, the VSÖ advocates for more security measures in schools. However, Martin Wiesinger, chairman of the VSÖ specialist group for security service providers, does not want "fortresses" or regulations like in the USA: "We live in a very safe country, and we should not introduce measures that overshoot the mark, no matter how tragic the current incident may be."

There was also insistence on the enforcement of a VSÖ guideline for weapon storage. "We have seen an increase in private gun ownership since the pandemic," says specialist group chairman Herbert Maté. At the same time, there is a "worryingly poor" handling of weapon storage.

What Concerns the Generations

Particularly among age groups, the study shows differences in the sense of security: For those aged 16 to 29, terrorist attacks (34 percent) and political extremism (28 percent) are the biggest threat scenarios, while those aged 65 to 75 are most concerned about burglaries (37 percent) and general readiness for violence (43 percent). Looking at threats "in the coming years," the concern about readiness for violence among seniors even rises to 52 percent. Among the youngest respondents, cybercrime is the biggest future concern at 42 percent.

Both trust in the work of the police and in security measures at public events are high, at 77 percent and 84 percent respectively. In both cases, it is above average among people with a high school diploma and in the age group 65 to 79. Among those aged 16 to 29, however, the law, at 52 percent, displaces civil courage from second place among the most important security factors.

For less than a fifth of respondents, sexual assaults are among the three biggest threats to personal safety; however, this concern is significantly greater among women (22 percent) and the group aged 16 to 29 (33 percent).

What Do Austrians Do Against Burglaries?

Austrians seem to feel fundamentally protected in their own homes. 94 percent perceive the private environment as safe, with 70 percent saying this feeling has "remained the same" over the past five years. The majority of private individuals without a security system also see no reason for a purchase - only five percent are "very likely" planning an imminent purchase. However, according to the study, almost a fifth want to acquire a security camera in the next two years, and among those under 29, even more than a quarter.

For protection against burglaries, according to the study, 83 percent find electronic security systems trustworthy, and 86 percent also trust mechatronic variants, such as combinations of mechanical locks and electronic components. Over a quarter of Austrians also own a safe.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.