FCPD to Measure Public Trust in Real-Time 

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Fairfax County – The Fairfax County Police Department is launching Zencity’s Blockwise, a new public survey tool used by dozens of leading police departments around the country, to understand local concerns, attitudes, and trust in police officers. The tool will enable FCPD to holistically understand local neighborhood safety issues, enhancing their responsiveness to community priorities. 

“This effort represents a belief that we can only improve what is measured. With this survey we will collect better data and be more responsive to the concerns and issues of our residents, in addition to our existing focus on reducing crime and disorder.” – Chief Kevin Davis. 

To watch Chief Davis’ press conference, click here.

Beginning June 1st, the survey will gather responses from residents in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese Urdu, Telugu, and Amharic. The survey will appear to residents through the use of digital ads in various locations such as news websites, social media platforms and other applications.

In addition to My90, which is a post incident survey, Blockwise will assist us in obtaining public sentiment about the FCPD as well as feelings about crime and the fear of crime. Blockwise will assist us with getting anonymous feedback from all community members including historically marginalized communities. Based on responses, the survey will measure resident satisfaction regarding residents’ feeling of safety and trust in police while also identifying key concerns residents want the Fairfax County Police Department to address. Additionally, this feedback from the community can help us align our community engagement efforts with the community’s expectations. This is in line with the Fairfax County Strategic Plan, One Fairfax, and Engage Fairfax to achieve inclusive community engagement.

In keeping with FCPD’s commitment to transparency, the survey results will be shared with the public quarterly as they become available and published on the Department’s website. Zencity’s community surveys incorporate voices from every corner of the community. To do so, Zencity sets response targets based on U.S. Census data about the municipality. Zencity ensures the security and privacy of its data and survey respondents. Survey responses are anonymous unless a respondent chooses to share their email address for follow-up purposes. Regardless, survey responses are kept confidential. 

Zencity does not collect a respondent’s name, address, or any other personally identifying information. Zencity’s weighting accounts for the responses of every single person who answered a question. The responses give a proportional voice to all demographics (e.g., by age, sex, race, and education level) based on the makeup of the municipality. 

For ongoing updates, please read our blog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @FairfaxCountyPD.