Taipei: More than 86 percent of residents in Taiwan expressed satisfaction with the security of their homes and neighborhoods, while nearly 79 percent were content with police efforts to maintain wider public order, according to a survey released by National Chung Cheng University (CCU).

According to Focus Taiwan, the mobile phone survey, conducted by the university's Crime Research Center, revealed that 86.35 percent of respondents felt safe in their neighborhoods, indicating strong public confidence in local security. However, only 48.56 percent rated wider public security as good, a discrepancy that Hsu Hua-fu, head of the center, attributed to frequent reporting of crimes in the media.

Satisfaction with police work in maintaining public security stood at 78.72 percent, marking the highest level recorded over the past five years, Hsu noted. The survey highlighted particularly strong approval for community-based police services, with more than 90 percent of respondents supporting measures such as providing escorts for large cash withdrawals and safeguarding homes when families travel.

More than 80 percent also endorsed police efforts to ensure the safety of public transport during major holidays and the rapid deployment of anti-crime units to deter group violence. However, CCU criminology professor Cheng Jui-lung cautioned that the survey was conducted before fatal stabbing attacks near Taipei Main Station and MRT Zhongshan Station in December last year. He warned that high satisfaction with neighborhood security could also foster a false sense of safety.

Cheng emphasized the need for further improvements in traffic safety, anti-fraud enforcement, and drug prevention. He noted that police plan to introduce artificial intelligence tools and strengthen public awareness to better combat scams. The survey collected 3,000 valid samples from adults across Taiwan and outlying islands, including Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, from Dec. 11-17, 2025, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.79 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.