When Researchers Want Straight Answers, They Should Hear From Us Too
But here's the thing — this is a UK-wide study, not a Lancashire exercise, and that means the researchers want to hear from us in North East Lincolnshire just as much. The survey is being run by Neighbourhood Alert on behalf of the College of Policing, the National Police Chiefs' Council, and academic teams at University College London and the London School of Economics. It closes on October 5, takes about ten minutes, and every response — positive or negative — is explicitly welcomed.
What They're Actually Asking
Let's cut through the official language. The survey covers the topics that come up at every neighbourhood meeting and every residents' group chat: crime and antisocial behaviour in your area, how safe you feel where you live, your personal experiences of crime or police contact, how you rate neighbourhood policing, whether you think the police are effective and fair, and — the big one — your overall trust and confidence in policing.
That's not a box-ticking exercise. These are consistent questions put to participants across the whole country, which means the data can actually be compared region by region. The researchers are looking for a wide range of voices and experiences. They make a point of saying they want to hear from people who haven't had any contact with the police too — because understanding what shapes confidence means understanding everyone, not just those with a recent case number.
Registration is through Neighbourhood Alert, which is already used by more than 95 per cent of police forces in the UK. It's free, it's described as secure, and you can optionally opt in for local policing updates once you've signed up. You can also leave at any time.
Why Our Patch Needs to Show Up
Here's what gets my attention. The whole point of this research is to understand how neighbourhood and local policing affects communities — and how public confidence shifts over time. That is directly relevant to every ward in Grimsby, Cleethorpes, and Immingham. We track crime trends and policing initiatives here at Safer Streets NEL precisely because these questions don't answer themselves. If residents across North East Lincolnshire don't take part, the national picture gets drawn without us in it.
We know from our own reporting that antisocial behaviour, visible police presence, and the speed of response are the issues that dominate conversation locally. This survey asks about all of those. Whether your experience has been positive, frustrating, or somewhere in between, the researchers have said plainly that every response helps fuel understanding of what matters to local communities. That's not a platitude — it's the mechanism by which funding decisions, patrol priorities, and policy reviews get shaped.
Ten Minutes, One Voice
The survey is open until October 5. You register through Neighbourhood Alert — search for the National Public Confidence in Policing Survey — and then you're in. Ten minutes of straightforward questions, no obligation to stay on the platform afterwards, and your answers go directly into a study that will be used by policing bodies and independent academics alike.
If you've got views on how safe you feel on your street, whether you've seen officers on the beat, or what you think needs to change — this is one of those rare moments where the researchers are actively asking for your honest take. Don't leave it to someone else to speak for the borough.