Cape Breton Regional Police launch public survey
The Cape Breton Regional Police wants to know what the public thinks of them.
An online survey has been created to solicit responses about everything from the performance of officers to the community's crime-fighting priorities.
"We know that public trust comes directly as a result of our accountability and our reputation for customer service," said police communications advisor Desiree Vassallo.
"Essentially, this is a customer service or satisfaction survey. The performance of the people who are delivering that service is very important."
The responses to the survey will be used to craft a three-year strategy for the police service. Vassallo said the best way to know what citizens want from police is simply to ask them.
"We're asking them for their opinions on things like crime levels in the community, the level of safety in certain situations and locations, what do they think are the key issues or areas of concerns for public safety," she said.
The survey also asks about people's level of satisfaction with the quality of the police service, and with the response and performance of officers.
Vassallo said the survey will play a key role in crafting the focus of the police service in the coming years, just as a survey of community organizations three years ago led to improvements in several areas.
"Things like our intelligent-led policing model for crime reduction, which includes targeted enforcement of repeat crime and repeat offenders," she said, "because statistics show that 20 per cent of the people commit 80 per cent of the crimes."
As well, computers have been installed in police vehicles, and the police radio system is being upgraded for better communication between first-responding agencies.
