Perceived Safety
Date posted: 07/31/2008
Quick Data Links
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 studies are cited, with each respective sample indicating how respondents felt about their own safety at that point in time. These studies are:
2006 Fort Collins Citizen Survey
What this chart shows: Overall Safety of Residents - Fort Collins, 2003 & 2006

Data Source: 2006 Fort Collins Citizens Survey
What these data tell us:
In 2006, Fort Collins randomly selected a sample of 786 adult local citizens. Survey respondents were asked to rate the phrase 'Safety of Community Residents' as 'Very Bad,' 'Bad,' 'Average,' 'Good,' 'Very Good,' or 'No Opinion.' The majority of survey respondents in Fort Collins believed that the city was a safe place to live. 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'. (2006 City of Fort Collins Citizen Survey, Table 6 - Safety Ratings) In 2006, there was a negligible shift in 'No Opinion' respondents, with 0.7% fewer choosing that option. However, the 'Very Good' category slipped 9.1%, possibly attributing to the 5.8% and 3.7% increases in the 'Good' and 'Average' responses, respectively.2006 Loveland Quality of Life Survey
What this chart shows: Loveland as a Safe Community - 2004, 2005 & 2006

Data Source: City of Loveland 2006 Quality of Life Survey, 2005 Loveland Quality of Life Survey, 2004 Loveland Quality of Life Survey
What these data tell us:
The city of Loveland had a response rate of 28%, 839/3000 for this survey. In 2006 more people agreed that Loveland is a safe community in comparison to 2005 results. 'Strongly Agree/Agree' increased by 2% and 'Strongly Disagree/ Disagree' decreased by 2%. Comments and concerns for those who selected 'Strongly Disagree/Disagree' with the statement 'Loveland is a Safe Community' included: 'Lots of kids with speeding cars', 'Not family friendly', 'Need more patrols on streets', and 'Gangs moving into our area'. See page 11 for Written Responses/ Comments within the City of Loveland 2006 Quality of Life Survey.Additional Information:
On Compass -
- Adult Abuse
- Adult Arrests
- Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities
- Child Abuse
- Community Concerns
- Domestic Violence
- Juvenile Arrests
- Law Enforcement Coverage
- Poverty
- Public Safety
- Quality of Life
Outside Compass -
- Colorado Department of Public Safety
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Fort Collins Neighborhood Watch
- Fort Collins Victim's Response and Advocacy Team
- Larimer County Community Corrections Department
- Larimer County Safety Council
Industry Standards or Targets:
N/AData Tables:
Overall safety of residents - Fort Collins, 2006
|
Rating |
2003 |
2006 |
|
Very Good |
26.3% |
17.2% |
|
Good |
53.2% |
56.9% |
|
Average |
17.2% |
23.0% |
|
Bad |
1.1% |
2.0% |
|
Very Bad |
0.5% |
0.1% |
|
No Opinion |
1.5% |
0.8% |
Loveland as a Safe Community - Loveland, 2006
|
Rating |
2005 |
2006 |
|
Strongly Agree/Agree |
91% |
93% |
|
Disagree/Strongly Disagree |
5% |
3% |
|
No Opinion |
4% |
4% |