Jordanians feel less safe in their country than they did last year — study

AMMAN — Jordan is the 22nd safest country globally and the 2nd at the level of the Arab world, according to the Gallup 2018 Law and Order study.

The Kingdom dropped 12 places from last year, when it was ranked 9th globally.

The study is based on four questions relating to confidence in local police, thefts and assaults, and safety walking alone at night.

Jordan, with 86 out of 100 points, was preceded by Egypt which came in 16th place globally. The Kingdom was followed by Morocco and Algeria.

Military experts said the drop in ratings “was a normal reflection of the current economic and security challenges the Kingdom is facing amidst a turbulent region”.

Retired major general and strategic analyst Adeeb Sarayreh said that the sharp decrease in the Kingdom’s standing is attributed to “social security and economic reforms”.

“The individuals who were surveyed do not feel safe because of the increasing numbers of the poor and the weak economic reforms,” Sarayreh told The Jordan Times.

He added that the current situation has resulted in “the fading of the middle class and the realisation by many people that poverty will most probably force some people to commit crimes such as theft and murders”.

But Sarayreh was quick to add that he is “optimistic that the government of Premier Omar Razzaz will hopefully restore some sense of security among our citizens with its expected economic reform plan”.

“If this new government succeeds in changing the old trends that were adopted by previous governments in depending on many occasions on people’s pockets to beef up its budget, then this will surely reflect positively on the Gallup report’s results next year,”
Sarayreh stressed.

Globally, Singapore topped the list with a total of 97 points, followed by Norway, Iceland and Finland; all scoring 93 points, while the lowest positions went to Afghanistan, 44, and Venezuela with 43 points.

The study was based on a survey of 148,000 adults in 142 countries and areas around the world, according to the Gallup report.

Retired general and military analyst Fayez Dwairi also said the drop in ranking “was a natural reaction to what is happening around us”.

“We had some unfortunate security incidents in the past year or more that somehow penetrated the security of the country,” Dwairi told The Jordan Times.

For example, the Karak incident that left several police officers dead in late 2016, Dwairi added, “reminded people of previous incidents that targeted security personnel and entities, which reflected on how they ranked Jordan in 2017 for the Gallup report”.

The report’s authors said the index is crucial for governments and leaders, as there is often a strong correlation between security,  economic and social development.