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Sadly most people think the police are honest law abiding citizens instead of corrupt jackbooted thugs.
The government has done a good job brainwashing the serfs it rules over.
Criminal-defense attorney Tony Zuniga is skeptical of the poll results. He said problems in the department and issues with racial profiling may actually be much more prevalent than the survey suggests, because many of the residents polled might not have had any contact with police. Survey: Majority trusts Phoenix Police Department Police get high marks overall in poll, but a third decry racial ties by Lynh Bui - Mar. 28, 2011 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic Nearly one-third of Phoenix residents who participated in a telephone survey about city services think the Police Department treats residents unfairly based on race or believe the department is not honest and open with the public. And at least 70 percent of the 700 residents polled in December said they would pay more to improve job training and services for the poor as the city recovers from the recession. Phoenix commissions a study of resident attitudes and satisfaction every two years. This was the first time survey respondents were asked their opinions about the Phoenix Police Department. Overall, however, 79 percent surveyed said they "have confidence in the Phoenix Police Department," and 78 percent said they "trust Phoenix PD to do the right thing." "It's something any city in the country should be proud of when nearly 80 percent of the public feels the Police Department is doing a great job," Mayor Phil Gordon said. The Police Department has faced several high-profile struggles in the past year. Most recently, City Manager David Cavazos removed Police Chief Jack Harris from managing the daily operations of the department until the city and federal government complete a review of controversial kidnapping statistics the city used to win a $1.7 million federal stimulus grant. The department also has dealt with an officer who threw an African-American councilman to the ground at the scene of a fire, another officer charged with second-degree murder after shooting an unarmed suspect, four officers indicted on fraud charges, and the unsolved case of a police sergeant shot dead under mysterious circumstances. Cavazos said the survey provides the city "significant data on what we're doing well and where we can improve" and will be used to prioritize services for residents, not just in the Police Department but citywide. Behavior Research Center in Phoenix conducted the telephone interviews with 700 heads of households in December. Phoenix has more than 1.4 million residents. The survey took place prior to the Harris reassignment. Phoenix paid the company about $14,500 for the study, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. Phoenix criminal-defense attorney Tony Zuniga, a member of a citizen task force tapped to review the Police Department's standards and procedures, said he is skeptical of the poll results. He said problems in the department and issues with racial profiling may actually be much more prevalent than the survey suggests, because many of the residents polled might not have had any contact with police. "A poll is only as good as its sampling," Zuniga said. Zuniga said the new questions about police on the survey were a step in the right direction if the city uses the information to "get at the core of what is wrong." Phoenix residents also were asked about their satisfaction with 30 services the city provides. Residents were most satisfied with emergency and fire services, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and garbage services. Residents, however, said the city should improve its workforce development and job creation, likely a reflection of the economy, according to Behavior Research Center's report. Overall, Phoenix residents were more satisfied with the city's quality of life and the service they were getting from employees, despite shedding more than 2,000 employees and slashing the budget last year. Nine out of 10 residents believe Phoenix "is a good place to live." The number of residents who felt they were "treated in a professional manner" by city employees jumped from 86 percent in 2008 to 95 percent in 2010. The survey shows that despite tough economic times, city employees are working hard and care deeply about serving residents, Gordon said. Survey summary • 91 percent believe the city is a "good place to live," similar to survey results from 2008. • 64 percent rate quality of life as "excellent" or "good," down from 67 percent in 2008. • 95 percent believe they were "treated in a professional and courteous manner" when dealing with city employees, up from 86 percent in 2008. • 10 percent rate quality of life as "poor" or "very poor," up 5 percent from 2008. • Residents were most dissatisfied with the services Phoenix provides for job training, the homeless, solving gang problems and attracting new jobs • Residents were most satisfied with emergency and fire services, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and garbage and recycling programs. Source: Behavior Research Center |