Citizens Weigh In on La Crosse Police Department

February 1, 2008 | Virginia News

By Keith Corum
The News-Progress (Mecklenburg)

LA CROSSE — The results of a recent survey asking La Crosse residents to weigh in with their opinions regarding the town’s police department are all in, and the results are for the most part extremely encouraging.

La Crosse Police Chief Rob Hall announced several weeks ago that through a partnership with the Southside Virginia Community College, a survey had been created and would be mailed to La Crosse residents, giving them an opportunity to express, anonymously, their opinions regarding various aspects of the police department and how it is perceived in the community on a day-to-day basis. Recipients of the surveys, which were also mailed to businesses in town, were able to fill them out and return them to SVCC, where a team led by Chad Patton, interim dean of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness at the college, sorted through them one by one and tabulated the official results.

Those results are in, and based on the numbers, it appears that Hall and his force are on the right track.

When asked if they were pleased with the level of professionalism shown by current officers in La Crosse, 69.2 percent of those polled agreed or strongly agreed, 20 percent were neutral, and 10.8 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Regarding police professionalism from the current force, 67.7 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the level of professionalism received from officers is high, while 23.1 percent remained neutral, and 9.3 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed.

When asked if they were pleased with the current direction in which the department appears to be headed, 60 percent agreed or strongly agreed with where it is going, 29.2 percent were neutral and 10.8 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed.

The survey also asked respondents to weigh in on the statement “I believe the department’s reputation within the community is improving” and an encouraging 70.3 percent of those responding said they agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, with 14.1 percent remaining neutral and roughly 15.7 percent disagreeing or strongly disagreeing.

When asked if they had confidence in the police department, 75.4 percent answered in the affirmative saying they either agreed or strongly agreed that the department merits public confidence, with 13.8 percent remaining neutral and 10.8 percent disagreeing or strongly disagreeing.

The survey also gave residents a chance to weigh in on the department’s website. When asked if they found it to be a useful tool to them personally, 45.1 percent of those responding said yes, an equal number (45.1 percent) were neutral and 9.8 percent said no.

For Chief Hall, who took over the reigns as the town’s top law enforcement officer after the people of La Crosse and the police force had enjoyed shaky relations at best for a couple of years, hearing from the community has been a top priority since he arrived in town. Hall said he was grateful that so many people took time to respond to the survey.

“I’m gratified that so many of the citizens and business owners took the time to respond to the survey. While the officers may have occasion to see and perhaps talk with many of the citizens in the course of their duties, that’s not really the best venue for getting unedited feedback. Thanks to the anonymous survey and the tremendous assistances of SVCC’s Administration of Justice Department, I feel we’ve gotten a pretty accurate picture of where the folks in La Crosse are,” Hall said.

Based on the numbers, Hall said he feels the department appears to be heading in the right direction in many ways.

“The indications from the survey are that most people are pretty pleased with the job the officers are doing, what we’ve been able to establish and the direction we’re going. The fact that three-fourths of the respondents expressed confidence in the police department is particularly gratifying. We’re committed to our mission and will continue to strive to improve and perfect our execution of that mission,” Hall said, adding that for the roughly 10-11 percent who expressed general dissatisfaction in the survey, he hopes to see positive inroads as a result of learning of their displeasure with the department.

“While I know you can’t please everyone all the time, the negative scores and comments highlighted that there’s still significant work to be done in certain areas. I wanted and asked for the truth-all of it. It’s important to know how everyone sees us, so we can continue to strive to meet the needs and expectations of the citizens of La Crosse.”

SVCC’s Patton commended Chief Hall for initiating the survey, adding that he feels a community-interactive evaluation of that sort could be good for other law enforcement agencies as well.

“I think Chief Hall should be commended for his efforts to survey the community he serves. This shows his dedications to his department and his profession. The responses were very positive. I believe any police department would be proud of the level of support and confidence demonstrated by the citizens of La Crosse concerning their police department. “While the numbers were impressive, the personal comments people took the time to write were particularly complimentary of the department. I think every department could benefit from this kind of evaluation,” said Patton.

Chief Hall said that as a result of the personal comments of some, the department plans to host an informal event that will allow the citizens to come out and meet members of the police force. Hall said he would extend an invitation to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office for its members to attend as well.

In addition, Hall said the department is working to improve its website, with Officer Bruce Delphia serving webmaster for the ongoing work in progress.

Hall said he owes a great deal to the team at SVCC for helping to create and distribute the survey, and for tallying the final results.

“I’m grateful that folks took time to fill out the survey and to Chad and SVCC for receiving them and completing the results. It’s been a great tool, and one that I’m sure we’ll use in the future,” Hall said.