Results of 2017 Public Needs Survey

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The results from the 2017 Public Needs Survey will help in creating the 2019 to 2021 Business Plan for the LPS.

On Feb. 15, the London Police Service (LPS) released the data collected from their 2017 Public Needs Survey. The survey, which is distributed once every three years, help the LPS understand the thoughts, recommendations and concerns of locals regarding policing and crime in the community.

According to information from the Public Needs Survey, the survey was sent to 5,000 random households in the city. Of those who received the survey, 24 per cent (1,213 individuals) completed it.

The survey plays an important role in understanding the opinions of locals when crafting the LPS Business Plan. Every three years, a new Business Plan is put in place for the LPS with the upcoming installment lasting from 2019 to 2021. Some highlights from the data collected showed that while most respondents find the amount of vehicle patrols to be satisfactory, the public would like to see an increase in foot and bike patrols around the city.

Survey respondents were given the opportunity to state which local issues should be considered priorities. The respondents stated that crimes related to drugs, traffic-related concerns, property crimes, crimes of violence and the topic of mental illness are the five most pressing concerns.

According to a Feb. 15 LPS news release regarding the survey results, the top five issues noted by locals remained the same as the results from the 2014 Public Needs Survey. London Police Chief Jon Pare commented in the news release that it is not a surprise to the LPS that drug related crime was a top concern for locals. In wake of fentanyl making its way into the city and the pending legalization of cannabis, the results seemed logical.

Regarding communication, the majority of survey takers said they receive their updates on activities pertaining to the LPS from the radio and television. In addition, 45.5 per cent of survey takers felt their knowledge increased over the past few years from the communication strategies implemented by the LPS in the community.

According to the survey results, the majority of respondents (61.6 per cent) said that crime has remained the same in their neighbourhood for the past three years, while 31.9 per cent said that it had increased and 6.5 per cent said it decreased.

When expressing possible strategies for the LPS, 67.6 per cent of the respondents indicated that officers should be more visible in the community and have more foot patrols. The majority of the respondents also agreed that working with the public would be a highly effective method to acquire communal safety and satisfaction.

The full results of the 2017 Public Needs Survey is available at londonpolice.ca/en/about/2017-pns.aspx.