Survey: Philadelphia residents paint mixed picture of city police

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Philadelphia residents’ opinions are mixed over police officers’ performance in the city, according to a recent poll. The research was undertaken by CrimeChannel.org, a data organization that conducts national- and city-level surveys on crime.

In the survey, 48% of residents said they were satisfied with the city’s police department. While that sounds lackluster, only one-quarter said they were unsatisfied. The rest, 27%, said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

The responses painted a complex picture of the city. While 56% of residents (including 62% of Black Philadelphians) said the city was headed in the right direction, only 32% said the police were doing a better job than a few years ago, with 24% saying the police were doing worse.

Finally, while just 50% said the city was “very safe” or “somewhat safe,” nearly two-thirds (65%) said that about their own neighborhood.

The Philadelphia Crime and Police Survey was conducted November 7–17. Researchers spoke with 800 Philadelphia residents aged 18 and older in online and live telephone interviews. The margin of error in the poll is about 3.5%.

Veteran pollster Ron Faucheux, Ph.D., and the American Directions Research Group examined multiple areas of the Philadelphia Police Department’s performance. Their analysis covered the investigation and resolution of murders, violent crimes, burglaries and property crimes, carjackings, car thefts, and major drug offenses, as well as the handling of emergency calls. They also evaluated the department’s efforts to recruit and retain new officers and the officers’ effectiveness in collaborating with community groups to reduce crime.

The survey also looked at officers doing their jobs with honesty and integrity and following appropriate standards of constitutional policing.

“Overall, we found that there were majorities of city residents who rated the department negatively on all of the tasks.” Faucheux said. “I think the numbers provide sort of a roadmap for people in the city to look at where they think the department isn’t doing what it should be doing and where there is room for improvement.”

According to the city controller, gun violence has dropped by 40% in Philadelphia year over year; regardless, Faucheux said residents still have reservations over safety.

“We have been finding this consistently in the national survey and also in surveys in other cities, even though the crime rate may have gone down,” Faucheux said. “The people in the cities and the people across the nation don’t necessarily feel that. The crime problem remains a significant issue in their communities.”

Chief Operating Officer Majeedah Rashid, of Nicetown Community Development Corporation, told WHYY in an interview that she wasn’t surprised by the results of the survey. Even so, she finds the poll results concerning.

“It just kind of indicates a disparity between communities and police. Something that we’ve been working on for a very long time,” Rashid said. “It is improving recently. But I think it’s pretty accurate.”

Rashid said there still exists a level of mistrust among residents who believe racial profiling and police brutality are problems. Recently, residents living in portions of the Nicetown, Logan, and Hunting Park neighborhoods have complained at community meetings about not getting a response from police when they call for service.

One “major problem” in Philadelphia is when drivers back a truck up into a neighborhood and unload trash or construction debris, then leave the scene. This behavior, called short-dumping, is rampant and too often unaddressed when residents reach out for help.

“The police will tell you quickly that a lot of times they’re on calls that are more important, like reported shootings or assaults or something like that.” Rashid said.

Rashid praised the police department’s efforts, noting that it has invested significantly in working with community-based organizations and agencies to reduce gun violence.

“But at the same time, one murder is still too many and people feel like in some neighborhoods, they don’t feel like the numbers are down, they feel like there’s still shootings and murders and crime and assaults going on,” Rashid noted. “We still have to keep the pedal to the metal on the work that we’re doing collectively within coalitions, partnerships, and collaborations.”

In a statement to WHYY, Sergeant Eric Gripp, a Public Information Officer for the Philadelphia Police Department, said, “We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to review any data that may help us understand how we’re serving our communities, where we’re succeeding, and where we might improve.”