Aside from implementing community engagement methods, knowing the metrics on how effective the methods employed are is also vital in community-based policing. Identifying the standards on how you are going to properly measure the effectiveness of the community engagement activities is very important before commencing any activities.
With the help of community engagement platforms like Officer Survey, it is easier than ever to gather real-time data and convert these into relevant information. However, it is important to note that community engagement tools, like surveys, should be dynamic in nature and created depending on the needs of the community. What works for other communities may not work in your own community. Hence, the metrics of how these community engagement methods are measured should vary.
Also, when looking into the data gathered, its interpretation must be aligned with the demographics of the community. Therefore, before implementing any community engagement tools, the objectives must be properly laid out to easily assess its success.
So, How Do We Properly Measure Community Engagement?
- Go back to your objectives.
Like any other studies, implementing community engagement tools must be based on the objectives that the department would want to achieve. What would you like to know? Why would you like to know it? How would these answers help you do better in the services that you provide?
Yes, you would like to know how to build safer communities. Yes, you would like to know how to solve crimes that have become so rampant in your community. Yes, you would like to know how to build trust with the public. But what specific outcomes would you like to see? Something that is SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bounded.
Unless you’re able to clearly establish your objectives, whatever community engagement method you implement will end up being useless because they may not provide you with direct action – a target that you can aim towards.
- Know what matters to the people in the community.
Sometimes, what you think is best for the community may not actually be what they desire to be addressed. And if you insist on providing solutions to things that are not considered as problems, you may not be able to direct your attention to the prominent concerns that everyone has been ranting about. Therefore, it is best to align the goals of the police department to that of the community members.
Find out what really matters to the community members and to the department. Look into the measures that would make people more engaged. You can bank on the general profile of the community or benchmark among the renowned individuals and organizations established in the community.
- Learn what keeps the community engaged.
Like you, everyone is motivated to do something – for the good of oneself and for others. Find out what inspires people to actively get involved with the community. This way, you get to understand how to build trust with the public.
If you want to properly measure the level of engagement in your community, you have to use powerful tools that citizens can easily access and the police department can easily monitor. Officer Survey can absolutely help you with these – without the trouble and stress of navigating through the platform.
Want to measure your community engagement? Start your personalized community survey now!
