Antioch Police Department launches new survey tool to measure public trust and safety
Screenshot of the police department’s Antioch Winter Survey promotion on Facebook.
Partnership with Zencity will use ongoing surveys to better understand local concerns, priorities, and trust in public safety officers
By Allen D. Payton
After learning of and taking what’s labeled on Facebook as the “Antioch Winter Survey” on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, this reporter asked Antioch Police Lt. Michael Mellone if it was from the police department or the city manager’s office.
In response, Mellone issued the following press release:
“The Antioch Police Department is launching a new public survey tool to better understand local concerns, attitudes, and trust in their police officers. The tool will enable the Department to more holistically understand local neighborhood safety issues and enhance their responsiveness to community priorities. This is the latest effort by the Antioch Police Department to convey a strong commitment to transparency and community outreach initiatives.
“In this first of its kind survey, we are showing a dedication to work in partnership with our community by gauging their feelings about safety and our delivery of police service. This partnership with Zencity will be a great step toward understanding the needs and concerns of those we are privileged to serve. The Antioch Police Department is committed to fair, ethical, best practice policing, which includes building trust and legitimacy with our community, and leveraging technology to assist in those efforts” said Police Chief Steve Ford.
“I applaud forward-thinking leaders who understand that effective public safety in 2023 requires building trust with the community they serve as part of an overall effort to reduce crime,” said Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO of Zencity.
Zencity is proud to support the critical work the Antioch Police Department is doing to understand and prioritize the needs of community members.
The launch of the new public safety survey is in partnership with Zencity, the community input platform used by local governments to hear from more residents and get meaningful and actionable insights. Zencity works with hundreds of municipalities across the U.S., including Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle and San Diego, on issues ranging from public safety to American Rescue Plan Act implementation.
Beginning February 24, 2023, the survey will gather responses from community members in English and Spanish. The survey will appear through the use of digital ads in various locations such as social media platforms. Based on responses, the survey will measure satisfaction on feelings of safety and trust in police while also identifying key concerns community members want the Police Department to address.
In under five minutes, Antioch residents can help the Police Department know how they feel. Questions asked include:
- When it comes to the threat of crime, how safe do you feel in your neighborhood?
- To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? In general, the police in my area…
- Treat everyone fairly regardless of who they are.
- Provide the same quality of service to all individuals.
- Would treat you with respect if you had contact with them for any reason.
- Treat local residents with respect.
- Are approachable.
- Listen to and take into account the concerns of local residents.
- How much access to information does the Antioch Police Department make available to the public about crime and arrest patterns in the community?
- What is the number one issue or problem on your block or in your neighborhood that you would like the police to deal with?
- Please provide specific details about this issue or problem. Location information can be acted on (ex. street / park / shopping center / school).
In keeping with the Department’s commitment to transparency and accountability, the survey results will be shared with the public as they become available.
Survey Methodology
Zencity’s community surveys incorporate voices from every corner of the community. To do so, Zencity sets response targets based on U.S. Census data about the municipality. Zencity ensures the security and privacy of its data and survey respondents. Survey responses are anonymous unless a respondent chooses to share their email address for follow-up purposes. Regardless, survey responses are kept confidential. Zencity does not collect a respondent’s name, address, or any other personal identifying information. Zencity’s weighting accounts for the responses of every single person who answered a question. The responses give a proportional voice to all demographics (e.g., by age, sex, race, education level, and income level) based on the makeup of the municipality.”
the attachments to this post:
Antioch Winter Survey FB
