Perceived Safety
Date Updated: 09/01/2010
Chart Directory:
This measure represents the levels of perceived safety identified by Larimer County citizens through several surveys. On each survey, questions about residents' perceptions of safety were asked differently to various samples of people, resulting in differing answers. The answers cannot be directly compared because of the difference in sampling methods and design of survey questions. The populations measured and survey content are described with the corresponding charts. Two recent studies are cited, with each respective sample indicating how respondents felt about their own safety at that point in time. These studies are:
What this chart shows: Overall Safety of Residents - Fort Collins, 2006, 2008 & 2010

Data Source:
- 2006 Fort Collins Citizen Survey [pdf]
- 2008 Fort Collins Citizen Survey [pdf]
- 2010 Fort Collins Citizen Survey [pdf]
What these data tell us:
In 2010, Fort Collins randomly selected a sample of 1,800 adult local citizens and 200 Colorado State University (CSU) dormitory students. Of the 1,918 households that received the survey, 737 completed it, 48 of which were CSU dormitory students. Survey respondents were asked to rate the phrase 'Overall safety of residents' as 'Very Good,' 'Good,' 'Average,' 'Bad,' 'Very Bad,' or 'No Opinion.' The large majority (87%) of survey respondents in Fort Collins rated overall safety as either 'very good' or 'good.' The rate of safety varies by the location. 'Your neighborhood during the day' is where and when the people feel safest, followed by 'Downtown Fort Collins during the day'. (2010 City of Fort Collins Citizen Survey, Table 5 - p. 16 [pdf])The number of respondents who rated overall safety as 'very good' increased by 1 percentage point (36% vs. 37%) between 2008 and 2010, whereas the number of respondents who rated overall safety as 'good' declined by 1 percentage point (51% vs. 50%). In 2008, none of the respondents thought overall safety was 'bad' or 'very bad', however 2% of respondents in 2010 rated overall safety as 'bad'.
What this chart shows: Loveland is a Safe Community - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 & 2010

Data Source:
- 2009 Loveland Quality of Life Survey [pdf]
- 2008 Loveland Quality of Life Survey [pdf]
- 2006 Loveland Quality of Life Survey [pdf]
- 2005 Loveland Quality of Life Survey
- 2004 Loveland Quality of Life Survey
What these data tell us:
In 2009, the City of Loveland mailed out 3,000 questionnaires to randomly selected households and received 870 completed surveys, for a response rate of 29%. Compared to previous years, an equal number of Loveland residents (95%) responded positively to the statement, 'Loveland is a safe community', as in 2008.Additional Information:
Related Information on COMPASS -
- Adult Abuse
- Adult Arrests
- Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities
- Child Abuse
- Domestic Violence
- Juvenile Arrests
- Law Enforcement Coverage
- Poverty
- Public Safety
Other Resources -
- Colorado Department of Public Safety
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Fort Collins Neighborhood Watch
- Larimer County Community Corrections Department
- Larimer County Safety Council
- Loveland Police Department Public Safety Survey 2009 [pdf]
Industry Standards or Targets:
N/AData Tables:
Overall Safety of Residents - Fort Collins
|
Rating |
2006 |
2008 |
2010 |
|
Very Good |
17% |
36% |
37% |
|
Good |
57% |
51% |
50% |
|
Average |
23% |
12% |
11% |
|
Bad |
2% |
0% |
2% |
|
Very Bad |
0% |
0% |
0% |
|
No Opinion |
1% |
0% |
0% |
|
Rating |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2008 |
2010 |
|
Strongly Agree/Agree |
94% |
91% |
93% |
95% |
95% |
|
Strongly Disagree/Disagree |
3% |
5% |
3% |
4% |
5% |
|
No Opinion |
3% |
4% |
4% |
1% |
1% |