Executive Abstract & Highlights
An Assessment of Public Perceptions about the Poulsbo Police Department
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Fifty-nine percent of respondents indicated that they either "agree" or "strongly agree" with the statement that the Poulsbo Police Department (PPD) does a good job at providing both quality and levels of service in the community. Only a small minority (9.0%) were inclined to "disagree" or "strongly disagree."
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The most frequently reported problems Poulsbo area residents confront in their neighborhoods are traffic problems, followed by vandalism and drunk driving.
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Sixty-seven percent of participants indicated that they either "strongly agree" or "agree" with the statement that the Poulsbo police are usually courteous.
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Nearly 80 percent of respondents claimed to "strongly disagree" or "disagree" with idea that only the PPD can control crime.
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Less than one percent of residents stated they worry about their personal safety "often," while 13.6 percent reported "sometimes."
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Over 62 percent of survey respondents indicated that they were "willing" or "very willing" to assist the PPD in efforts to improve the quality of life in area neighborhoods.
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Over 88 percent of residents either "agreed" or strongly agreed" that Community Oriented Policing is a good use of resource; while only 3 percent of those responded with "disagree" or "strongly disagree."
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Business community focus group participants overwhelmingly perceived the PPD in a positive manner (82%).
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Focus group data obtained from high school students showed that 14 percent of students perceived the PPD in a positive manner, 28 percent hold neutral perceptions, and 57 percent view the PPD more negatively.
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Ninety-five percent of North Kitsap High School student focus group participants indicated that they believe the PPD does not treat all citizens equally.