SASKATOON — Results of a recent community satisfaction survey showed that 87 percent of residents in the city are satisfied with the Saskatoon Police Service. Insightrix conducts the survey every three years.
The 87 percent overall service satisfaction result was noticeably higher than the national level of 75 percent in a separate survey conducted by Angus Reid. The 2021 results, however, were down from 93 percent in 2017.
Eighty-six percent of respondents felt safe in their respective neighbourhoods, with the residents in the Central Division less likely to feel safe in their neighbourhoods at 54 percent compared to East Division at 93 percent and Northwest Division at 85 percent.
Most common reasons cited for feeling unsafe in their neighbourhoods included suspicious people, general feelings of unease, fear of physical assault, lack of police in the area and recent incidents in the area.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted perceptions of policing problems and priorities. Survey results indicate that, within neighbourhoods, police not being visible and public safety in general have increased in perceived importance.
In terms of specific crimes, housebreaks or breaking and entering remain the most important at 30 percent with drug law enforcement at 20 percent, and robbery at 17 percent rounding out the top three. Eighty-one percent of respondents believed quality of service by SPS officers was good or excellent.
The public sentiment for body-worn cameras is also extremely supportive, with 98 percent of respondents saying they support the use of body-worn cameras by police generally and 88 percent saying they believe the use of body-worn cameras will increase public trust in police.
Fifty-one percent of respondents visit SPS’s downtown office on a monthly or less frequent basis.
Seventy-one percent of respondents found social disorder to be the most important issue in downtown. Specifically, respondents cited homelessness and panhandling as the most pressing issues related to social disorder in downtown.
Respondents were also very supportive of initiatives focusing around redefining the police’s role, with 92 percent saying they would support an alternative response officer responding to their call for service if the call was non-criminal and non-threatening in nature.
Ninety-four percent of respondents felt it was valuable to partner police with a mental health professional for the purposes of responding to calls that are non-criminal and non-threatening in nature.
For more information, please visit saskatoonpolice.ca/surveyresults/.
