In light of the Menlo Park budget shortfall and potential solutions offered at recent public workshops the Menlo Park Police Officers Association (MPPOA) conducted a scientific survey of 300 registered voters in the city to ascertain their thoughts about the budget problems currently besetting the city, along with a comprehensive look at the public’s attitudes about the police department.
The 46-question survey was designed to measure how the community feels about various city-related questions. Because the association is concerned about our community and the current process underway to address the budget shortfall, we want to share the results of the survey.
When asked about how voters rate the Menlo Park police department, 64 percent rated the current performance as excellent. Just 2 percent said performance was either below average or poor. Similarly, 62 percent agreed that police officers perform at an excellent or above average level, with only 2 percent rating the job below average or poor.
Responding to the fact that in 2005 the department lost nine officers and that the lack of retention programs is of great concern to members of the department, 55 percent said the city should spend additional funds to retain officers. According to the association, Menlo Park officers lag behind numerous other similar size departments in salary and other benefits. When asked if they would agree that police officers in Menlo Park should be paid the same as other cities of similar size, 77 percent said yes.
Importantly, after explaining the city’s projected $2.9 million deficit, yet also explaining that some proposals called for reducing funds to many public services, 60 percent of those responding said they would either “somewhat” or “strongly” oppose a cut in police related services. If given a choice between cutting police services or raising taxes to help offset a need to reduce officers, the survey found that 64 percent would rather pay for a tax increase to support the police. Just 21 percent said they would “somewhat” or “strongly” oppose such a tax for the purposes of keeping the current level of police and programs.
The support of police officers in the city extended to the association and its endorsement of candidates for City Council. When asked about the importance of candidates obtaining the endorsement of the association at election time, 38 percent said they would be “more” or “much more” likely to vote for a candidate that had the association’s endorsement. The same number, 38 percent said they would be “much less likely” to vote for someone whom we had not endorsed.
The survey asked questions of residents in every major neighborhood of the city and was statistically weighted to include a representative sample of the entire community.
The current process underway to reduce the budget has the potential to impact programs we consider vital to the safety of the community and could result in more officers leaving for other communities. It is clear through our survey that the public not only understands what is at stake, but supports police officers and the programs that are helping to keep Menlo Park a great and safe place to live.
The association will work with anyone in the community to help find a way to reduce the budget shortfall, but we cannot do so if we believe it compromises the safety of the public we have sworn to defend. Moreover, we believe that we must stem the tide of officers leaving the community by addressing pay, benefit and retention issues.
William A. Dixon is the president of the Menlo Park Police Officers Association.
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