Denverites' top safety priority is putting more police on the streets, survey shows
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Denverites' top safety concern is a lack of police capacity as the city continues to face officer recruiting challenges, according to a new community survey from Seattle University.
Why it matters: The survey, released on June 27, sheds light on the public's perception of safety issues citywide, which Denver police are using to grade themselves and guide their priorities.
What they found: The results from more than 6,000 survey respondents reveal that, in addition to wanting more officers on the ground, other leading concerns are property crime, homelessness and traffic safety — the latter two of which the mayor has launched campaigns to address.
- The most common themes raised in respondents' written comments were traffic safety, followed by public order crime, property crime, police policies and accountability, and violent crime.
Zoom in: When it comes to "legitimacy," Denver's police department scored about 58% out of 100%. Researchers say the higher law enforcement scores in legitimacy, the more likely the public is to cooperate with and support their agencies.
- By contrast, the Seattle Police Department, for which Seattle University also conducted a survey, scored 39% on that metric.
The fine print: Data for the anonymous survey was gathered across Denver's 78 neighborhoods for seven weeks, starting in October 2023.
- The survey was fully funded through grants at a cost of about $101,000, DPD spokesperson Doug Schepman tells us.
In a separate survey launched by the Denver Police Department last November, which remains ongoing, results from more than 85,000 respondents citywide show nearly 44% feel "safe" or "extremely safe" in the city, compared to 27% who feel "not safe" or "not safe at all."
- 75% of respondents are "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with officers' response time to their 911 calls, while 71% say the reason for their call was resolved to their satisfaction.
- The survey is sent to people through automated text or email messages after they call 911.
What's next: Denver police are planning to conduct another public safety survey in the fourth quarter of this year, the agency said in a statement.
- DPD is also analyzing neighborhood-specific issues identified by Seattle University's survey to create tailored safety plans based on those challenges.