Some Louisvillians Won't Call PoliceThe report also said that people's past experiences with police sometimes led to a reluctance to call for law enforcement at later dates. About 16 percent of respondents said the “police did not help previously” when they were called for assistance.“That’s really an area for improvement,” Conrad said. But he added there are “limitations” to what police can do.Community activist Eddie Woods said delayed responses lead residents to lose faith and trust in law enforcement. He also said police often exhibit a lack of emotional flexibility, which can make establishing a connection with residents difficult.“Individuals, depending on how the emotional string has strung, are depending on some flexibility,” he said.
Conrad said it is “impossible to make everybody happy."“And it’s impossible to fix every problem, but we are committed to do what we can."About half of the survey respondents were "very satisfied" with police, and 38.7 percent said they were "somewhat satisfied," according to the report.
About 70 percent of respondents said they had no contact with police during the previous year. Of that group, 6 percent said they were dissatisfied with Louisville Metro Police.But respondents who did have contact with police were most likely to be dissatisfied with Louisville Metro Police. More than 20 percent of the 707 respondents who said they'd interacted with police during the previous year were were dissatisfied with LMPD, according to the report. The reasons given for dissatisfaction included long waits for a police response or officers not making an immediate arrest, according to the report.
But Conrad said it doesn't always make sense for officers to “go blue lights and sirens across the neighborhood.”For instance, Conrad said, minor thefts or situations that have already resolved themselves may not necessitate an immediate response.And boosted community support can also quell the need for police interaction in every situation, he said. Conrad endorses the creation of Neighborhood Watch programs. He credited such programs with the “strength in numbers” needed to combat crime at the most local level.Woods said he didn't think surveys are the best way to get an understanding of how police impact the community. He encouraged police to spend some "porch time" with residents."Engage in activities," he said. "Shoot some ball with some kids, carry on a conversation."You can read the entire report here.The Citizens Attitude Survey will continue into the future, Conrad said. He said the data has already been collected for a new report next year.Just more than $110,000 was budgeted this fiscal year for the Citizens Attitude Survey and a study looking into whether Louisville Metro Police officers racially profiles when making traffic stops.Conrad said the results of the racial profiling study will be released soon.
