Students of the master program Crime and Crimal Justice of the University of Leiden investigated the perception of safety of the Sluisjesdijk. On the 14th of April the students presented their results and recommendations to several stakeholders, including Kees Kleinhout from the Port of Rotterdam, the client of the research.
The research
The main research question was:
How do entrepreneurs, residents and visitors of Sluisjesdijk perceive the safety of Sluisjesdijk and how can this perception of safety be improved?
Different themes were examined in the context of this main research question, such as road safety, social interactions, design of public space, security measures and the image of the area.
Fieldstudies
The research themes were examined on the basis of in-depth interviews and observations. The students interviewed 114 participants, including 63 entrepreneurs and employees, 33 visitors and 18 residents of Sluisjesdijk. Next, the students weekly observed Sluisjesdijk. They looked at the condition of public space, traffic and social interactions between people on the street. After five weeks of fieldstudies, the students analyzed their research data and formulated conclusions and recommendations. In three groups, the students presented these conclusions and recommendations to the client and other relevant parties involved.
Educational embedding
This research project was done in the context of the course Law Enforcement and Safety Policies in Large Urban Areas, which is part of the graduation program Criminal Policy and Law Enforcement at the University of Leiden.