NCJ Number
126588
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1990) Pages: 69-72
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The purpose of and the design considerations of community surveys to scientifically see how the police and their services are viewed by the public are discussed.
Abstract
Historically, the private sector has used surveys to obtain consumer feedback on products, personnel, service, and performance. To enhance the relationship between the police and the community, a concentrated effort must be made to solicit opinions and attitudes of the consumer of police services. There are six applications for the surveys: (1) general attitudes of the community; (2) organizational goals and priority setting; (3) strengths and weaknesses; (4) areas of improvement; (5) training; and (6) employee motivation. The design considerations of the survey are listed, such as using a telephone or mail survey, question wording, length, sequence of questions, etc. The overall benefit of a survey is that it provides an inexpensive means of overcoming alienation factors and communication barriers while conveying the department's commitment to accountability and accessibility. A sample service survey form is included.