The results of a recent Thomasville Police Department online survey to help assess the current perception of law enforcement service to the community are in, and participants overall say that the TPD is making the grade. The survey was conducted in partnership with the Thomas University Division of Social Work from February through May earlier this year. The results were shared during a Wednesday workshop session with Thomasville City Councilmembers by TPD Chief Troy Rich and Dr. Debra Gersham, Assistant Professor with Thomas University.
“We are required as part of our certification with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) to conduct a public satisfaction survey every three years,” said Rich. “We use this as an opportunity to gain an understanding of how our community feels we are doing so that we know where we may need to make improvements. It is very helpful for us to know how well we are currently meeting the expectations of those we serve.”
The final report summarizes the 137 responses provided from Thomasville residents who completed the 2017 Thomasville Police Public Opinion Survey. When asked to provide an overall performance grade of the Thomasville Police Department, 98.5% of respondents gave the Thomasville Police Department a passing grade. Citizens also provided written comments in support of their grade, identifying the department’s strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improving its service and/or performance.
“This is the kind of information that helps us to determine the effectiveness of our performance,” said Rich. “The results will help us as we create a new three-year plan, which will address any of the shortcomings that were identified by the survey as well as help us to improve existing services.”
The full report is available on the Thomasville Police Department’s website, https://thomasville.org/departments/police-department.