A new way for the public to give their thoughts about crime and the operation of the Jefferson City Police Department was recently launched on the city's website.
A police department satisfaction survey can be found at www.jeffersoncitymo.gov - click the "Government" tab at the top of the page then scroll down to "Police" and click "How are we doing?"
"It took a few months for us to get it put together," said Capt. Eric Wilde, who heads the department's support services division. "Without some sort of way for the public to let us know their thoughts, we may miss the boat because what the public may see as a priority, we may not have. We want to be on the same path of what the community desires."
Wilde said the plan is to keep the survey as a permanent part of the department's page on the website. He said it will be reviewed at various times throughout the year.
"We'll always have a formal review for an annual report," he said. "This will help us assess if we're meeting objectives such as response times. We'll put the results out when the budget comes out."
Surveys can be submitted anonymously, but if someone wants an officer to contact them, contact information can be included.
"We're looking at all the standard stats that any good department would want to check on," Wilde said. "We want to make sure people feel safe."