The perception of safety: between the crime, the conflict and the organization of the space

Abstract

The interaction of individuals with their environment is a constant where territory and collectivity are mutually modified. In this dynamic, the perception of safety is the key to understanding the use of public space, as well as being a very important indicator of people’s quality of life. In these pages we analyse the locational logic of certain crimes, such as small-scale drug trafficking, in a intermediate European city and how it influences citizens’ perception of safety. We also analyse how all this can be modified by certain factors like police pressure and its impact both in the relocation of the activity and population’s fears towards it.