Anne Arundel County, Maryland, is seeking feedback regarding the work of its police department.
“Public safety is the most fundamental obligation of our government,” County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a statement. “That obligation functions through the trust and accountability between our residents and our Police Department. Those relationships must be strong so that our communities remain safe.”
The county, its police department and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health collaborated on developing the anonymous survey. Personal data will not be collected — only feedback and information about the department, a news release said.
“Building trust with our community rests at the cornerstone of 21st century policing, and that trust helps to solve crimes and increase the quality of life for residents,” said Amal Awad, the county’s police chief.
The survey, she said, will serve as another tool to provide important information that will help police “continue to grow as an agency and further connect with our community.”
The survey will be available for 30 days, and the data will be analyzed at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“This survey represents an important opportunity for community members to provide their perspectives on policing in Anne Arundel County and contribute to discussions on public safety in their communities,” said Dr. Cassandra Crifasi, assistant professor in the department of health policy and management at the school.
