Supply and demand of safety at local level in the Lazio Region, Italy

The aim of the presentation is to understand the main features of the supply and demand of local safety in the Lazio Region, in Italy, and to provide a first critical assessment on their matching. The analysis of the characteristics of the safety demand will be based on the results of a survey on 2000 residents in the Lazio Region that was carried out by the authors in 2009. The survey provides data on the perception of insecurity in the five main towns of the Region (that of Rome, Latina, Viterbo, Rieti and Frosinone) and of the problems associated to it (i.e. criminal and antisocial behaviour, immigration, drug dealing, poor environment, road traffic etc.). Factors affecting the feelings of insecurity are also taken into account (age, gender, education, political attitudes, being resident in central or peripheral areas of the city and so on). On the side of the safety supply, we will consider in particular the local safety policies financed by the Lazio Region in 2008, representing the first attempt of the Region to invest systematically in local safety across its territorial boundaries. As in the Italian context a particularly determinant role in orienting local safety policies is assigned to the Regions, we explore the specific role of the Lazio Region in defining guidelines, targets and financial resources for its municipalities. In the final part, we will test whether and to what extent the demand of safety in municipalities is met by the most recent policies promoted by the Region. A critical assessment on gaps between demand and supply will be provided in the ambit of a wider analysis of strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and shortfalls.