Does the Denver Police Department have legitimacy in your eyes? Do you trust officers to do their jobs well? Are you proud of them? Would you report a crime? If you did, are you confident the police would help?
DPD wants to know how well it is serving you and the community. To get feedback, DPD is inviting the public to fill out the Denver Public Safety Survey before Dec. 8. You'll get to answer 48 questions about these sorts of topics and help shape future safety policy.
Jacqueline Helfgott, the director of Seattle University's Crime and Justice Research Center, is conducting the survey. It's based on work she's done with her own city over the past nine years.
"This survey is an excellent opportunity for all Denverites to influence how Denver Police and the City of Denver will provide safety services and neighborhood-level supports in the future," said Helfgott in a statement. "Through nine years of study conducting the public safety survey in Seattle, Washington, I have seen firsthand the impact individual community voices can have on police-community engagement to enhance public safety."
The survey, available in 13 languages, takes roughly 20 minutes to complete.
Helfgott's team will take several months to analyze the data. The results will inform neighborhood-specific safety plans.
Whether you're a Denver resident or a business owner, you can fill out the survey anonymously at the Denver Public Safety Survey website.
The department is reaching out to the community for a response through social media, signs in all 78 Denver neighborhoods, and through outreach to neighborhood organizations and community groups.
"Safety perceptions vary from person to person and neighborhood to neighborhood, so to best enhance public safety at the neighborhood level, we must go beyond crime data and understand the challenges as seen through the eyes of those we serve," said Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas, in a statement. "We value our community's lived experiences and encourage them to complete this survey to ensure we are best serving all of Denver."
