Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 1
Neighborhood Safety Partnership:
A Communications Pilot Program
Draft
October 28, 2013
“Respect is based on the perception that someone at a high ethical and powerful level, is
advancing my interests”
The
Neighborhood Safety Partnership Program has been chosen to define the impact of a new effort at
stopping crime by reducing fear and building partnerships between the surrounding Seattle community
and the Seattle Police Department. Points-of-view and key findings from this Pilot Project come from:
1) John K. Buller working as the lead communications consultant with the Seattle Police department for
the past 3 years. Buller focused on the department to improve their internal and external communications
strategy that make effective community communications a core competency of Policing.
2) These findings respond to the challenges defined by a Consortium event held in Seattle, December
2012, attended by 17 Police Chiefs and Sheriffs, 17 University Criminal Justice researchers from around
the country, and 16 Seattle community organizers. A key question was asked of all participants: define
just one thing they believed to be the most important activity needed to be researched and applied. This
single point, if properly implemented, would have the most positive and dynamic impact on community
relationships with policing organizations desirous to improve their community perception.
The research in this presentation applies survey results to gain a preliminary understanding on the impact
different communication strategies have on a community’s view and feelings about their Police
Department
.
Prepared by John K. Buller
Communications Consultant
For more information please contact John Buller
at
Jkbuller@comcast.net or 206.321.0016.
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE CHALLENGE……………………………………………………………………………3
THE PROJECT……………………………………………………………… 3
METHODS………………………………………………………………….. 5
Designing the Surveys
………………………….……………………………….5
Executing the Surveys
……………………………………………………………6
The Neighborhood Crime Prevention Campaign Timing Elements
………….……………7
KEY FINDINGS………………………………………………………..….. 8
TABLES & GRAPHS………………………………………………………10
THE PILOT PROGRAM SUMMARY…………………………………….11
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS…………………………………………… 13
APPENDIX…………………………………………………………….…..14
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 3
THE CHALLENGE
Finding the compelling activities, which most effectively improve a Police Departments ability to create
community partnerships, built on mutual trust and respect.
CREATING A NEW POLICING PARADIGM
THE ANSWER
Defining, measuring and understanding the impact of a decentralized, neighborhood specific, multichanneled,
communications engagement strategy focused on crime prevention neighborhood partnerships
that enhance levels of mutual trust and respect between those neighborhoods and Seattle Police
Department (SPD).
TRUST
Reliance on another person or entity
RESPECT
Expressions of high or special regard
PARTNERSHIP
Close cooperation between parties having specified joint rights and responsibilities
THE PROJECT SUMMARY
CONTEXT
The Seattle Police Department organized and hosted a national conversation about how to define the “best
practice” for activities and practices having the greatest positive impact on creating enhanced community
partnerships and community trust. I am struck with the thought that the SPD communications strategy is
the core activity/practice that will accomplish this concept of the “Best Practice”.
•
Individuals experiencing an officer interaction asking the right questions, listening to answers and
explaining what or why they are doing specific actions.
•
Engaging organized groups of citizens asking for their safety concerns, with local officers listening
and explaining their understanding of each neighborhoods crime analysis, and concerns.
•
Defining neighborhood specific crime prevention strategies and creating neighborhood partnerships
directly designed to keep neighborhood crime low by forming this new bond.
•
SPD’s neighborhood social media strategy, specifically engineered to be transparent, balanced and
proactive – enabling the neighborhoods to engage at their desired level and have easy access to
information relevant to where they live.
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 4
The new world of communications is multi-channeled, interpersonal, socially interactive and micro
focused. Residence tendencies points directly to crime in their own neighborhoods and communities want
to believe they can have a voice in the process of keeping their neighborhood safe.
OBJECTIVE
To define, measure and understand the impact on residences trust and mutual respect of the New SPD
Neighborhood Communications Engagement Strategy.
OVERALL CONCEPT
Consumers are becoming more connected and desirous of instant information. They want it now, and they
want it fast. SPD has for years used precinct based community relations strategies based upon assorted
community activists meetings to define the departments community outreach efforts. Though these
meetings are of value, their limitations in a new high technology world do not reach all of the citizens
interested in crime prevention. The department has taken steps to enhance these meetings with the
addition of the “Living Room Chats” which again are working well but do not reach a critical mass of
residences. With the addition of “Tweets by Beat”, 24/7, online public safety survey and adding blogs to
the precinct web pages, the infrastructure for a new broad based, neighborhood specific communications
approach is now possible.
•
This pilot program selected 2 neighborhoods
•
The neighborhoods, engage not only with the existing community partners, but will also add other
social welfare organizations like, local Chambers of Commerce, service groups such as Rotary, Kiwanis
and others, neighborhood churches, and Night Out captains
•
A neighborhood specific communications campaign asked all of these groups to complete the
24/7 Public Safety Survey
(on-line or hard copy) giving SPD specific concerns and questions for their
individual neighborhoods (Safety Survey – www.tellspd.com –Links on the SPD web site and SPD
blotter)
•
Prior to the execution of this communication campaign we bolstered the potential of our results by
adding a base line Trust Survey #1 in these neighborhoods for their opinion about their level of trust in
SPD’s operation (Trust Survey #1 enclosed)
•
After the neighborhoods gave their input (24/7 Safety Survey) the Precinct Captain for each
neighborhood communicated the results. These included what was learned overall, presentation of the
actual 1 year crime analysis and detailing of the adjusted
Crime Prevention Strategy.
Neighborhood assigned patrol officers are a part of this effort by making sure the extended partners
receive feedback and follow up.
•
30-60 days after this outreach effort is completed we resurvey the 2 neighborhoods to define what
impact this neighborhood specific engagement approach had on the trust scores.(Trust Survey #2)
•
If this concept is successful at improving trust and respect in the pilot neighborhoods, SPD could
refine this model and use this campaign approach to replicate in the rest of Seattle’s neighborhoods
PROPOSED NEIGHBORHOODS
Pilot: Columbia City and Park Side in the High Point housing (West Seattle)
TIME LINE
See methodology.
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 5
METHODS
Designing the Surveys
THE CHALLENGE
To find the actions and values most effective in improving a police department’s ability to create
community partnerships built on mutual trust and respect.
The Trust Survey 1
The Trust Survey effort was implemented to understand the value in improving neighborhood
communications, in an impactful way. Several of the core key findings are not new:
o
people who interact with good officers (who know the power of a conversation) have a higher
regard for the officer as well as the department.
o
people disrespected by an aggressive officer not only dislike the behavior but also will tell
their story to anyone that will listen.
The survey was designed around questions focusing on activities and behaviors in which an officer could
be reasonably held accountable. Each of the 6 questions below reflect my thoughts on what every officer
and department should have as a professional standard (the scale was 1 low-5 high).
1) Do you trust the Seattle Police officers to enforce the law fairly in your neighborhood?
2) Do you trust that Seattle Police understand your neighborhoods crime prevention needs?
3) Do you believe Seattle Police have the right crime prevention strategy for your neighborhood?
4) SPD’s Officers level of professionalism?
5) SPD’s overall department communications?
6) SPD’s Officers individual communications skills?
Each of these statements should be easily administrated and expected as a standard of professional
behavior that citizens should be able to experience and observe when dealing with and thinking about the
Seattle Police Department. The survey then asked for a zip code and comments.
Trust Survey 2
Trust Survey 2 is the same as #1 with 3 added qualifiers:
1) Have you taken this survey before?
2) Did you attend a Night Out block party?
3) Has your opinion about the SPD gotten better, worse or stayed the same?
The goal here was to add to the score comparisons as some filter on some specific thing that might impact
the scores. As well as offering a directional question about SPD getting credit for changing (better or
worse).
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 6
The Neighborhood Safety Survey
SPD for the last 2 years has had a 24/7 Neighborhood Safety Survey containing a variety of questions
which give citizens the opportunity to discuss crime and Police behaviors (www.tellspd.com ). For this
survey effort, we focused on 4 basic questions:
1) How safe do you feel in your neighborhood?
2) Of a list of 16 problems which are on-going in your neighborhood?
3) Compared to last year, the level of crime is lower, higher, same?
4) Your zip-code.
These are the same crime areas that the department keeps analysis on.
Summary
The goal profited by keeping the surveys short and easy to understand and having participants focus on
clear, concise activities and behaviors. We wanted to leverage the growing success of “Night Out”. By
focusing on neighborhood crime prevention the surveys:
•
gave direction to the challenges
•
pointed out the most effective activities improving the Police Departments ability to create
community partnerships built on mutual trust and respect.
Executing the Surveys
The key challenge was to get high percentage of completed surveys all associated with a few
neighborhoods, and Night Out offered the perfect opportunity for this project. Seattle has a very robust
Night Out effort with over 1,300 individuals registering their block parties. For many neighborhoods,
Night Out, is the local party. Finding the right neighborhood to ask to participate in this project was also
very straightforward.
Columbia City is a fast, growing, older neighborhood that had seen better days. However, over the last 5
years the neighborhood has been rediscovered. Columbia City also has the distinction of being one of the
most diverse neighborhoods in America, thusly making it a prime target. The final element produced a
positive result as a small restaurant chain,
Tuta Bella, founded in Columbia by a very community oriented
person by the name of Joe Fugere seemed a perfect fit. Joe was asked if he would be interested in helping
with this pilot effort and agreed with eagerness.
As a check and balance, I also asked two smaller neighborhoods to take the
1st Trust Survey to ensure
there was a control group within the survey effort. West Seattle has a significant diverse housing
development, which use to be a low income project built in the 60s, and has now been reborn. A friend
lives in one section of the development (Park Side) where there are 40 homes. She was in charge of her
Night Out activities so we essentially piggy-backed and asked to have her neighbors take the survey.
Through long-standing connections, we were able to coordinate the same in the Maple Leaf neighborhood
where a condo group completed the survey.
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 7
SURVEY TIMING DETAILS
Several methods were used to implement survey completions. They fit with what I thought would be the
answer –
•
all of these neighborhoods have a group of people who attend meetings on neighborhood crime
prevention.
•
neighborhood leaders all have e-mail lists and neighborhood friends who discuss this topic and
work very hard to keep their neighborhood safe.
•
The police have crime prevention coordinators and community outreach units that work very hard
to engage neighborhoods.
•
The underlying problem is that the neighborhoods are larger than the effort being put forth by SPD to
have people come to community outreach meetings. America is in a social communication explosion and
Police are handicapped by not having database strengths and poor mass e-mail abilities.
Two distinct groups filled out the surveys. In July for 3 weeks every customer that had a meal at Tutta
Bella received the paper
Trust Survey 1 with his or her bill. In late September and early October the same
happened again, only they were given the slightly modified,
Trust Survey 2.
Simultaneously an e-mail was crafted with the
Trust Survey 1 link to Survey Monkey site. The e-mail
came from Joe, the owner of Tutta Bella, personally. A second email from Joe, was again sent in October
with the modified
Trust Survey 2.
The scenario was repeated again in August around the Night Out event with Joe personally sending out
the e-mail. In all cases the e-mail survey was sent to approximately 150 individuals and in all efforts we
received about 50-60 online responses representing a substantial 30-35% return. In the next section you
will see the scores and responses for these efforts
The Neighborhood Crime Prevention Campaign Timing Elements
The Campaign Neighborhoods
– Columbia City
The Control Group Neighborhoods Park Side and Maple Leaf
1
) Contacting Neighborhood Leadership to bring them on board and committed to being of
help in getting the neighbors involved [Chambers – Business leadership Churches- Rotary –Social
Welfare Groups e.t.c.]
Buller to do-Precincts help if they want
2)
Late June – Meeting with key Precinct Leadership and Neighborhood Officers
[this is to make sure every one is Knowledgeable and supportive of this Pilot Program
Buller to Organize with the Precincts
[Neighborhoods leadership is all ready on board and have
committed to being of help in getting the neighbors involved]
3)
Starting July 10th –The Trust Survey 1
is taken in the Identified Neighborhoods to establish
a Base Level of that neighborhoods overall trust of SPD
Buller to Manage
4)
August 6th Night Out
—The Neighborhood Crime Prevention Campaign begins
July26th [in conjunction with Seafair]
—Posters- Take Ones E-mail campaign– All of that
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 8
Neighborhoods Meetings –ask people to fill out [on-line or Hard copy] the 24/7 Neighborhood Safety
Survey
Buller to Manage – Possible SPD Explores help Neighborhood groups receive printed
materials
5)
Month of August –Each Precinct does its Crime analysis of that neighborhood
(See chart on Neighborhood Safety survey.)
Target Neighborhood
Zip Code 98118– Columbia City and Seward Park
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 12
Creating a new policing paradigm.
The policing departments around the country developed their community outreach strategies in the middle
90’s, which precluded the explosion in personal technology information gathering. In general, they have
not changed since then. Only in the last few years have the departments discovered the use of Twitter as a
way to provide timely and efficient information to citizens interested in crime and police activities.
However, in all cases these have been focused on the city as a whole, instead of the real need for broad
based communications at the neighborhood level. The answer to the key and most significant question of
what enhances trust, lies pointedly and emphatically in a decentralized, neighborhood specific, multichanneled,
communications engagement strategy. This strategy focuses on crime prevention and
neighborhood partnerships which enhance all levels of mutual trust and respect between those
neighborhoods and SPD.
Creating a decentralized, neighborhood specific multi-channeled, communications
engagement strategy.
Elements already active and performing well;
Contacts in person
– Block watch captains, Night Out organizers, the Snap Program, Living Room
Conversations, Safe Communities, Neighborhood Safety Committee Meetings, special interest meetings,
and Precinct Picnics. All of these personal outreach activities are available.
On-line Activities
– Re-defined SPD Web Site, SPD Blotter, SPD Twitter Account, Tell SPD Safety
Survey-@SeattlePD 40404, Get Your bike back, Stolen Car Web Site.
Precinct specific Communications
– Tweet by Beat and the Precinct Web pages.
Elements that need to be completed to maximize the power of communications:
•
Completion and adoption of the SPD’s new communications policy allowing a
more decentralized communications to the Officers and precinct leadership.
•
Completion of the Precinct Web Sites adding a blog element to these sites
allowing each precinct to more frequently post information and conversation with their
neighborhoods.
•
Completion of the automated Crime by Beat function to complement the Tweet by
Beat function.
•
Having the 24/7 Neighborhood Safety Survey owned by the crime prevention and
community outreach officers.
•
Creation of a consistent newsletter that is precinct based but provides Beat specific
information. This effort should be measured by the # of e-mails per beat.
•
Redefining the SPD’s Crime Prevention culture. Precincts Officers, Crime Prevention
teams and Community Outreach all need to be on the same strategy. There should be more
structure in managing and engaging neighborhoods into partnerships that start with the frequency
and consistency of providing crime prevention information. Neighbors need to feel that there is
real effort and concern about everyone working together to protect property, autos and stopping
individual’s bad behavior.
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 13
•
Building the Audience in each Neighborhood. E-mails, page views and followers,
every neighborhood every district everyone engaging neighbors in following their SPD precinct
Monthly Neighborhood Newsletter
Communicate the Crime Prevention Strategy in the following key areas
(Emailed and posted on the precinct web site)
1
) Activity of the neighborhood’s 911 calls
What was the # of calls to 911 from this neighborhood over the last 4-6 months by crime breakdown
(crime code) compared to this month’s crime? This report should define the expectations of when an
Officer will get to the call based on priority of the call.
2) Neighborhood crime history
What was the crime history in the neighborhood for the last 4-6 months by crime codes compared to this
month’s crime?
3) Neighborhood policing coverage
What is the neighborhood policing coverage and any other policing information that defines how SPD
manages the neighborhood?
4) Predictive crime analysis
Describe the new efforts on predictive crime efforts (or hot spot information) and the impact on how
crime is being proactively addressed.
5) Any other information that might impact neighborhood crime and SPD’s effort
–(maybe names
and #’s of the Crime prevention officer).
6) SPD’s neighborhood outreach efforts that you feel might be useful to this neighborhood
(living
room chats, neighborhood coffees, plus information from the 24/7 neighborhood safety survey etc).
7) Conclusion
Summary of key thoughts.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
With regard to the potential of continuing the efficacy of this effort, there is very little cost to making this
strategy a powerful and nationally recognized program. This program has underscored the importance and
understanding the Seattle Police Department has valued in treating Communication as a required skill,
with proper oversight within, guaranteeing progress in gaining community trust as a vital organization
with respectful individuals serving and protecting. But in no uncertain terms, these surveys and results
have shown this is a cultural issue not an operational issue. At the very core, it all starts with the Officer
believing that Public Perception matters and how they demonstrate respect to others will be returned with
others giving respect to them. With the proven positive steps over the period of these surveys, the
Department needs to commit to a vigorous completion of the communication vision. The opportunity to
set a national high-bar of success and show the nation the power of a decentralized, neighborhood
specific, multi-channeled, communications engagement strategy, stands ready. This is a moment when
The Seattle Police Department can shine and lead.
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 14
APPENDIX
Addendum 2. Picture of the restaurant Tutta Bella, where the neighborhood survey was conducted.
Additional photos of the survey itself and the promotional items by the restaurant.
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 15
Addendum 1. Comments from Survey Trust #1, all online comments
The SPD blotter is informative. The SPD appears at South Seattle crime prevention meetings. “South Seattle
Cop” sometimes weighs in on the Rainier Valley Post, and although he is probably not authorized to do so, it is
quite informative to help citizens understand the crimes in the neighborhood.
8/3/2013 10:54 AM
View respondent’s answers
Noji Gardens
8/2/2013 2:01 PM
View respondent’s answers
A greatly appreciate Mark Solomon’s police newsletter that he sends out to the SE residents.
8/2/2013 1:21 PM
View respondent’s answers
I think they are doing an ok job but there is so much more they could be doing. Increase respectful interactions
even when residents get frustrated so that we can continue to build trust. Increase the understanding that when
a minority is stopped and questioned if they are innocent it is an insult because rightfully so they know if they
were not a minority they would not have been stopped or questioned. So making sure when I drive down rainier I
see all people talking to SPD the more trust there will be. If SPD makes a habit of talking to more people instead
of questioning I think trust will improve. I am a white women who is around rainier more then my daughter and
husband both black. I have never been stopped or questioned yet both of them have. Maybe making sure we
use community policing to just check in with all residents so everyone sees people of all colors just talking to
SPD maybe that will help the trust and in turn safety
8/2/2013 6:29 AM
View respondent’s answers
I don’t really know what their strategy is or how they communicate.
8/1/2013 11:11 PM
View respondent’s answers
W need more police presence and support.
8/1/2013 11:00 PM
View respondent’s answers
The problem I believe is not enough police…but then I am a middle-class, middle-aged white woman, so am not
hassled by the police.
8/1/2013 9:33 PM
View respondent’s answers
I’ve been pleased with any interactions I’ve had with SPD. I would just like to see more police presence on our
streets. I think that would discourage the amt. of break-ins.
8/1/2013 8:38 PM
View respondent’s answers
You guys are great but we want to see more of you! Thanks for all you do.
8/1/2013 7:38 PM
View respondent’s answers
Have my business in Columbia City and am there most days.
7/31/2013 10:22 AM
View respondent’s answers
They could spend more time waking around the high crime areas and talking to merchants and meeting the kids
on the streets.
7/31/2013 10:01 AM
View respondent’s answers
Police do a great job, we just need more officers and higher visibility. I know that the department is stretched
very thin and are doing the best they can with the resources they have.
7/31/2013 9:47 AM
View respondent’s answers
I worry both about young men of color being stopped by SPD, and by the level of these same young men dying
by violence. As an elder female resident, I also worry about my personal safety. SPD has a very tough job, and
has been under scrutiny for so long. I appreciate this outreach.
7/29/2013 10:34 AM
View respondent’s answers
What has happened to the old gang units, they really had a handle on the problem….. Get rid of the gangs…. do
not feel safe in my neighborhood at night anymore !!!!
7/27/2013 7:57 AM
View respondent’s answers
More than once I have overheard officers talking to each other after responding to a call in the neighborhood
saying, “Well what else do they expect around here? Shouldn’t they just be used to it by now?”
7/26/2013 11:32 AM
View respondent’s answers
need cops walking a beat, visiting businesses, holding safety meetings in apt complexes I.e. THE
GREENHOUSE for one, more visibility late night & early morning, around bus stops
7/26/2013 10:35 AM
View resp
Addendum 3. Comments from Survey Trust #2, all online comments
we all realize SPD is understaffed. hopefully, this will change in the future.
10/24/2013 3:12 PM
View respondent’s answers
I do not believe it is the citizens who need to change their attitudes about trust. It is the police department.
10/18/2013 3:00 PM
View respondent’s answers
SPD needs more professionalism
Prepared by: John K. Buller 10/28/2013 16
10/17/2013 3:46 PM
View respondent’s answers
I do not feel safe in my neighborhood. I feel stuck by my economic status in the neighborhood and would like to feel
my 5 year old child is safe here.
10/17/2013 3:06 PM
View respondent’s answers
I am happy to see more of a police presence along the Rainier / 57th area. Crime deterrent strategy. I live in the
area and want to have a safe area for my own walks and with my grandchildren from people who may be involved
in gang or drug activity.
10/17/2013 11:22 AM
View respondent’s answers
need officers to walk or bike streets where gangs are active and where shootings strong arm assaults robberies
take place in Rainier Beach area = a visual show of protective force will make neighbors feel safe to walk to stores,
community center, light rail, parks, beaches thanks!
10/17/2013 8:09 AM
View respondent’s answers
I believe there are great individual police officers, who work very hard. Also, I feel leadership does the best they are
able to do with the resources they have available. SPD doesn’t seem to have the capacity to implement the type of
police service needed to best serve 98118. I think policing has improved in our neighborhood, having lived her over
20 years. It’s frustrating because I love my home, and I love my neighbors–but I don’t feel as safe as I do in other
neighborhoods. That said, there is a negative image of our neighborhood which it doesn’t entirely deserve. More
positive press about RB is needed, and keep up the great work building community. We also need our businesses
to step to the plate and help with crime prevention… i.e. light up Henderson and Rainier with attractive lighting or
something!
10/16/2013 9:22 PM
View respondent’s answers
We live on 43rd Ave south. The street that was on lock down after fatal shooting.
10/16/2013 12:59 PM
View respondent’s answers
I think the police are doing the best they can with the limited budget they have. I would like to see more funds go to
their gang prevention group…of course they need more funds for that!
10/16/2013 11:22 AM
View respondent’s answers
SE Seattle seems to fall below the radar in the police department. Crimes against persons and property in this part
of town appear to have lower priority than those in other parts of town.
10/16/2013 2:25 AM
View respondent’s answers
