CLEARWATER POLICE SURVEYING
RESIDENTS
(7TH "Customer Satisfaction" Survey to begin March 1st)
A statistically valid and randomly
selected number of Clearwater residents will soon be asked about
their perception and interactions with the Clearwater Police Department
when they are mailed a "Customer Satisfaction Survey,"
said Sid Klein, Chief of Police.
"Part of our community-oriented
policing philosophy is that Clearwater's citizens are our 'customers,'
and it's important to us to know how they feel about our service,
and what they believe are issues within their own neighborhoods,"
Chief Klein said in explaining the survey's design and intent.
"We have found, over the years, that this tool allows us
to identify both strong points and weaknesses in our day-to day
operations."
The survey, the seventh such
abstract mailed to Clearwater residents since 1990, will be mailed
this week to 3,000 randomly selected residents whose names are
gleaned from the City of Clearwater Utilities billing list. In
years past, the response rate (returned, completed surveys) was
about 40%, which is not only a remarkable return rate for a mail-out
type survey, but it is also statistically valid, with more than
one percent of the city's residents being represented.
The 33-question survey asks
respondents (citizens) to share their opinions about their neighborhood;
about employees of the Clearwater Police Department; and about
the Police Department in general. There is also room for unsolicited
comments.
The format of the survey contains
the same questions the Police Department asked in the previous
six surveys, giving department administrators a fair understanding
of what residents view as problems in their neighborhoods.
Over the years, the results
of the survey were used by Police administrators and planners
in determining what programs and projects were most important
to the citizens of Clearwater. "This survey has been a valuable
asset for the department, especially since so many recipients
return it with comments," Chief Klein said. "We've used
it as a guide on numerous occasions, most notably the creation
and staffing of the Traffic Section to address the repeated number
one concern of Clearwater's residents."
The Police Department asks
residents who receive the survey to take the time to complete
and mail it back in the postage-paid envelope. Once the returns
are compiled and tabulated, a final report will be made public
and will be discussed in various Police Department divisions.
Residents who have questions
about the survey - or who would like a copy of the final report,
once completed - may contact Project Coordinator Sergeant Doug
Griffith at 562-4347, or e-mail him at dgriffith@clearwaterpolice.org.
SID KLEIN
Chief of Police