KC police and the city score higher with citizens

nationwide-police-satisfactionIn Kansas City, citizens are clearly more satisfied with police services.

The 3 percent increase this year to 66 percent is more notable because there is usually little change in it, a city management official reported Tuesday to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

Police Chief Darryl Forte also noted the new survey results in his blog Tuesday.

“At a time when other cities are seeing rioting and skyrocketing homicide rates born of reduced confidence in law enforcement, 3 percent more Kansas City residents report satisfaction with the quality of police services they receive,” he wrote, the highest level of satisfaction since the question started in 2012.

The new survey results are based on questions answered by 4,000 respondents between August 2014 and May 2015.

Forte also noted advances in other police areas since the 2013 and 2014 survey:

A 6.2 increase in the city’s overall efforts to prevent crime, a 4.6 increase in effectiveness of local police, and a 2.1 increase in how quickly police respond to emergencies.

The survey is by ETC Institute, which also does the work for other cities.

When compared to other cities, Kansas City has an overall police satisfaction rate of 66 percent, compared to a national average of 72 percent and an 88 percent rate in San Antonio.

overall-ratingsThe survey results showed major improvement for the city as a whole, with 80 percent saying it was an excellent place to live and 67 percent saying they were satisfied with the overall quality of life.

Forte said changes in police attitudes and treating people with more respect are helping city police relate better to citizens.

“The most prominent headlines KCPD members made this past year were for getting caught on camera interacting with urban-core youth, rescuing dogs and working with other members of the community to bring Kansas City’s homicide rate to its lowest level in 42 years,” he said in his blog.

But he also said much needs to be done, and that became clear from other reports Tuesday to the police board.

The number of homicides this year stands at 53, far above 44 at the same time last year. There have also been 135 drive-by shootings, compared to 112 at the same time last year.

And fraud offenses are up 23 percent from last year.

There is also more distrust to overcome and more relationships to build, Forte said.

 

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