In 2018, 46 percent of the inhabitants of St Eustatius reported nuisance in their own neighbourhood, versus as much as 86 percent in 2013. On Saba, this percentage stood at 84, similar to 2013. This is the outcome of the Omnibus Survey for the Caribbean Netherlands which Statistics Netherlands (CBS) conducted on these islands recently.
The Omnibus Survey was held among 484 inhabitants of Saba and 620 inhabitants of St Eustatius in the age category 15 years and over, with the objective of gaining insight into their living conditions. They were interviewed on various topics such as health, living environment, safety and leisure. Respondents also indicated whether nuisances occurred in their own neighbourhood and whether they themselves experienced such nuisances. The survey distinguishes 13 different forms of neighbourhood nuisance.
Less poop in the streets of St Eustatius
Inhabitants of St Eustatius have mainly encountered less physical decline in their environment such as vandalised objects and litter and animal poop in the streets. In 2013, 75 percent of local residents mentioned animal poop in the streets as a nuisance in their neighbourhood; this has dropped to 29 percent in 2018. Residents also reported less traffic nuisance in 2018 than five years previously. Social nuisances, such as loitering youths in the neighbourhood, were the least prevalent and were reported equally often in 2018 and in 2013.
Residents of St Eustatius experience less nuisance
Those residents who indicated that nuisances were common in their neighbourhood were asked to which degree they themselves experienced such nuisances. In 2013, 57 percent of the people on St Eustatius said they themselves experienced some form of nuisance. This has dropped to 23 percent in 2018. Road traffic nuisances and physical decline were also reported less often than in 2013.
7 in 10 Saba residents identify traffic nuisances
This year, 84 percent of the people on Saba have reported nuisances in their living environment, similar to 2013. Road traffic nuisance is the most prevalent form (72 percent), most often referring to speeding cars. Nearly half of the residents report physical decline and 33 percent report social nuisance.
Less nuisance caused by drunks in the streets of Saba
When asked about nuisances they themselves experienced, in 2018 the population of Saba responded in the same way as in 2013. However, they did experience less social nuisance. For example, fewer residents were affected by drunken people in the streets.
Sources
StatLine – Sint-Eustatius; overlast in de buurt
https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/82557NED/table?dl=10E06
StatLine – Saba; overlast in de buurt
https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/82557NED/table?dl=10E07
Explanation
Thirteen forms of nuisance
Physical decline comprises the following forms of nuisance:
1. Litter in the streets;
2. Vandalised street furniture, benches or bus shelters;
3. Graffiti on walls or buildings;
4. Animal poop on sidewalks or in the streets.
Social nuisance comprises the following forms of nuisance:
1. Drunken people in the streets;
2. Drugs use or drug dealing, for instance in the streets or in coffeeshops;
3. People being bothered in the streets;
4. Youths hanging about.
Traffic nuisance comprises the following forms of nuisance:
1. Speeding cars;
2. Parking issues, e.g. wrongly parked vehicles or too many parked vehicles;
3. Aggressive behaviour in traffic.
Other forms of nuisance comprise the following:
1. Nuisance caused by cafés, restaurants, snack bars;
2. Nuisance caused by residents in the neighbourhood