GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE
To get community feedback on our services and reach the broadest cross-section of the population, the SPD employs the following tools to find out how we are doing: a telephone survey of 9-1-1 callers, a survey done face-to-face and an online survey. Each of these reach different audiences. All of them help up know how well we we are meeting our goals of providing excellent service to the residents and businesses of Seattle.
SERVICE QUALITY SURVEY
SURVEY RESPONDENTS: Callers to 9-1-1 who had an Officer dispatched to assist them.
METHOD: Telephone Survey
Since 2006, the Seattle Police Department has conducted regular telephone surveys of people who have called 9-1-1 and then had an officer dispatched to assist them. A professional survey firm contacts respondents by telephone within two weeks of their having called 9-1-1 and having an officer dispatched to assist them. The telephone interview lasts about ten minutes. Callers are selected from among those who call 9-1-1 on randomly selected dates.
The purpose of the caller surveys is to ascertain how community members view the services provided by the Department and to determine where improvements can be made. Internally the results of the surveys are presented to the Department’s Command Staff and to the command structure of the five Patrol Precincts. The results are also shared with the public on our website as reports in our Publications section.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD VIEW POINT PROJECT (NVP)
NVP RESPONDENTS: Residents and businesses in Seattle neighborhoods, who may or may not have had prior police contact.
METHOD: Face-to-face contact by Officers with residents in their neighborhood and businesses in their business districts.
In June 2010, the Department began its Neighborhood View Point (NVP) project. The project involves brief, one-on-one interviews of residents and businesses by officers. The purpose of the project is to learn what those surveyed regard as the most pressing public safety issues as well as other concerns in their neighborhoods that the City needs to address.
NVP is a proactive way for SPD to hear from a wide variety of city residents and see their neighborhoods as they do. This allows us to better identify and work on the public safety problems of greatest concern to residents and businesses and to do so early on, when these problems are easier to address.
ONLINE SAFETY SURVEY
SAMPLE GROUP: Self-selected, open to anyone.
METHOD: Online survey.
www.tellspd.com is our online website survey. It is a quick 10-question survey that allows people to self-report their feelings of safety in their neighborhood and satisfaction with police services. The information received from this survey is used by precinct commanders and shared with the officers providing the services.
FEEDBACK AbOUT INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES
In addition to the methods mentioned for overall feedback on Department services, we also have intake options for both positive and negative feedback on individual employees:
EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT
The Seattle Police Department takes reports of possible misconduct by a police department employee very seriously. Our Office of Professional Accountability, which is headed by a Civilian Director, oversees these investigations. The OPA will follow up on any reports of misconduct made to the OPA directly, as well as any reports made to the City of Seattle Customer Service Bureau, the Office of Civil Rights, or cases referred to us by the Mayor's Office, or City Council Members. You can report employee misconduct by using the online OPA Complaint Form.
THANK AN SPD EMPLOYEE
When our employees do a great job, we love to hear about it. To thank specific officers or employees and ensure that this message makes it back to their supervisor and the employee, use our online form to Thank an SPD Employee.
