Police input sought from Island residents

Erie County Sheriff's Office conducting survey through mid-July

by Lynn M. Dziadaszek
Grand Island Dispatch, June 25, 2004

Placing an emphasis on integrity, fairness and professionalism is one of the primary goals of the Erie County Sheriff's Office. For a few more weeks, Grand Island residents have the opportunity to help the department do just that.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office is now conducting a "Citizens' Survey on Police Integrity" which seeks to help deputies "determine how we are doing our jobs," said Christopher C. Clark, senior executive assistant to Sheriff Patrick M. Gallivan.

Clark attended a Tuesday night meeting at the Grand Island Memorial Library to explain the survey and encourage residents to participate.

"The survey will give us a better understanding of how Erie County residents feel about crime and safety issues," Clark said. "A lot of people trust us. They like dealing with deputies. Some (other police departments) do not enjoy the particular relationship we have with the public."

Future Goals, Strategies

Although deputies are generally well received among county residents, there may be some areas in which the officers could improve. That is where the survey comes into play. The survey, Clark said, will provide information that will help the department set future goals and strategies, establish training and recruiting systems and determine the needs of county residents.

"Your input equals our output," Clark said. "With citizen input, we can do a better job putting out services out to the public."

Although the results are not final, early responses on the 28-question survey revealed some residents are concerned about drugs, juvenile crime and traffic. Most respondents know the Erie County Sheriff's Office administers the county jails and has a helicopter. Also, Clark said, more than 50 percent of the respondents so far have said they would be "willing to pay more taxes for additional police services."

The Citizen Survey on Police Integrity is funded through a $108,992 U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant. Funding helped the department promote the survey through billboards, printed materials and public meetings such as the one on Grand Island.

Anonymous Survey

Residents have until mid-July to complete a survey, Clark said. The survey can be found on-line at www.erie.gov/Sheriff and printed copies are available in the town clerk's office and the library. The survey is anonymous, Clark said. Surveys submitted on-line are put through a filtering process that removes identifying information.

"I can literally open every one up and read it but I don't know who sent it," he said.

Surveys will also be available this weekend at the Island Happening, Supervisor Peter McMahon said. McMahon is one member of a citizens' steering committee providing "checks and balances" to the police department's involvement in the survey, Clark said.

Sheriff's department personnel conducted five meetings to promote the survey, Clark said. The Grand Island meeting was the fifth and final meeting during the "gathering" process. Only McMahon and Grand Island Councilwoman Mary Cooke attended Tuesday's meeting; no residents attended.

At previous meetings, attendees offered input in several areas, including ways to have more surveys completed, Clark said. One idea submitted, he said, involved setting up a table in the county's Rath Building, which is heavily traveled by downtown workers and residents in need of services.

A public meeting with the steering committee will be held following analysis of the full data pool. At that time, an action plan based on the data and developed by the department's survey consultant will be explained to county residents.