A survey conducted among Central Business District residents and business owners showed 73% of those surveyed feel safe at night in downtown Wilmington, while 62% saw panhandling as the number one problem in the area. The survey was created by the Wilmington Police Department and distributed by Wilmington Downtown Inc to several hundred business owners and residents in February. 90 individuals responded. The survey was conducted to measure the perception of safety in the downtown community.
“While Part 1 crime continues to go down in the Central Business District, it is also important to know how people feel about the area”, said Ralph Evangelous, Wilmington Police Chief. “We will take the results of this survey and try to address any concerns respondents may have. We are also looking closely at the panhandling issue.”
The survey contained 22 questions which measured everything from panhandling to lighting and vandalism in the area. It also asked respondents how often they saw an officer during the daytime, 46% responded frequently. The Central Business District boundaries include 3rd Street to the Cape Fear River and bridge to bridge. A copy of the final results from the survey are available on the Wilmington Police Department’s webpage.
