Opinion Poll Gives Police Mixed Reviews

By Andrew Gorosko

Police officials are reviewing the results of an anonymous public opinion poll, conducted earlier this year, in formulating the police department’s revised strategic plan of operations intended to guide the organization’s direction during the coming five years.

More than 200 people responded to a questionnaire designed to elicit responses on the police department’s performance. Police formulated the poll with the goals of learning what the police department does well, and how it could improve.

Most of the poll responses were submitted to police via the Internet, with some questionnaires filled out on paper.

The poll results are being reviewed in tandem with the results of an internal poll of police department members in updating the strategic plan, according to Police Chief Michael Kehoe.

With the aid of opinion survey results, police say they will evaluate the public’s needs and then work to better balance the range of services that police provide. Police last conducted such a community survey in 2002.

The recently disclosed public poll results describe a range of opinion from respondents about the police department’s performance, from praise to sharp criticism.

Among the 206 respondents, 55.7 percent were female; the largest percentage responding were between ages 45 and 54; the largest percentage have lived in town for more than 20 years, and the largest percentage lives in Sandy Hook. Of those who responded, more than 90 percent own their own homes.

Among the respondents, more than 63 percent had had contact with the police department during the preceding two years.

The poll posed questions about respondents’ experience with contacting the police dispatch center, the length of time that it took police to respond to calls for service, and the quality of the police services provided.

Among a series of broad questions about police performance, 127 respondents said town police act professionally, 29 respondents said police do not act professionally, and 50 people said that they had had no recent contact with police officers.

Among the 206 respondents, a large majority reported that local police are competent. Similarly, police received generally high marks for courtesy and appearance.

Of 206 respondents, 171 people stated that they feel either “safe” or “very safe” in their homes.

Among those 206 people, 74 stated that the police patrol presence in their neighborhood is “adequate,” and 15 people said it is “very adequate.”  Of the 206 people, 38 said the police presence is “somewhat adequate,” 29 people said the presence is “not at all adequate,” and 50 people were uncertain.

Of the people polled, one-third believe that local traffic enforcement is “adequate,” one-quarter believe that it is “somewhat adequate,” almost one-fifth believe its is “not at all adequate,” and more than one-eighth believe it is “very adequate.” One-tenth of those responding are uncertain whether local traffic enforcement is sufficient.

Of those responding, three-quarters said that they had not been the victim of a local crime, with the remainder stating that they had been a victim.

Comments

The 25-question poll elicited a broad range of opinion on what the police department does well, and how it could improve its public service. Respondents made 285 narrative comments overall.

Among the comments made on what respondents like best about the police department, remarks included that the Citizen Police Academy provides a good communications forum for the public and police, and that police are courteous, responsive, competent, respectful, friendly, pleasant, supportive, helpful, professional, and have well-washed patrol cars, among many others.

Some respondents, however, had markedly different views about town police.

Negative comments included remarks that police have poor attitudes, are condescending, lack knowledge of the law, are overzealous, judgmental, remote, lack communications skills, are nonresponsive to requests for information, are disrespectful, and lack public visibility, among many others.

Police Captain Joe Rios, who oversaw the public opinion poll for the police department, said that survey results indicate that respondents want police to heighten their enforcement of motor vehicle and traffic laws in view of the town’s population growth, which has significantly increased the number of motorists traveling on local roads.

Some respondents want a heightened police patrol presence in their neighborhoods, he added.

“We have to maintain a [law enforcement] focus by keeping in touch with the public,” Capt Rios said.

Chief Kehoe said, “The public thinks we’re doing an admirable job.”

The many opinions and comments collected in the survey essentially confirmed the police’s sense of the public mood concerning local law enforcement, especially in the areas of traffic law enforcement and property crime, he said.