Surveys: Law Enforcement Administrators New Approach to Community Police Relations

Date

2019

Authors

Trejo, Adan, Jr.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT)

Abstract

Description

Corporate America has invested a great deal of time and effort to assure first time customers become returning customers. One major component corporate America has employed and has put emphasis on is satisfaction surveys. Survey information or feedback gives business owners and administrators the ability to gauge customer satisfaction based on surveys. The information resulting from the surveys allow business owners or administrators to make sure their businesses are headed in the right direction. Although police departments and sheriff’s offices are not selling a product, interactions with law enforcement officers should be measured and that data interpreted. Law enforcement agencies should model their customer service approach in the same manner as corporate America does. Utilizing surveys after citizen interactions, provides feedback to police administrators to identify potential police misconduct and assists in strengthen ties with the community as whole. Several incidents during 2014 through 2015 where police actions were scrutinized by the media have made law enforcement offices more accountable for their actions. Tragically those actions ultimately resulted in the deaths of the citizens, which encountered police. The jurisdictions impacted were immediately scrutinized for the action of one officer. Surveys created to gauge the citizens’ satisfaction based on the interaction with the officer would be unbiased feedback. Surveys are an excellent tool in which law enforcement administrators can gauge and establish a consensus from the community they are serving specifically based upon the interaction between the police officer and citizen.

Keywords

Citation