Small Town Surveys

Abstract

Tailoring a community policing program to meet the needs of the community necessitates that the police first determine what the needs of the community are. A survey of the residents of a small, rural town in eastern Illinois was conducted to help the local police department learn what the residents are concerned about and develop community oriented programs that the residents will both appreciate and support. The survey revealed that residents favor proactive policing, but are unaware of the proactive tactics used by the police department. Respondents also indicated that they would like to interact with officers in a friendly fashion and that they support the community services provided by the police. Finally, residents with children indicated concerns about their children being exposed to drugs and gangs. The police department is currently using this information in refining its existing programs and developing new ones.