These are Denverites' top safety concerns

Denverites' top safety concern is a lack of police capacity as the city continues to face officer recruiting challenges , according to a new community survey from Seattle University.

Why it matters: The survey , released on June 27, sheds light on the public's perception of safety issues citywide, which Denver police are using to grade themselves and guide their priorities.

What they found: The results from more than 6,000 survey respondents reveal that, in addition to wanting more officers on the ground, other leading concerns are property crime, homelessness and traffic safety — the latter two of which the mayor has launched campaigns to address.

• The most common themes raised in respondents' written comments were traffic safety, followed by public order crime, property crime, police policies and accountability, and violent crime.

Zoom in: When it comes to "legitimacy," Denver's police department scored about 58% out of 100%. Researchers say the higher law enforcement scores in legitimacy, the more likely the public is to cooperate with and support their agencies.

• By contrast, the Seattle Police Department, for which Seattle University also conducted a survey, scored 39% on that metric.

The fine print: Data for the anonymous survey was gathered across Denver's 78 neighborhoods for seven weeks, starting in October 2023.

• The survey was fully funded through grants at a cost of about $101,000, DPD spokesperson Doug Schepman tells us.

In a separate survey launched by the Denver Police Department last November, which remains ongoing, results from more than 85,000 respondents citywide show nearly 44% feel "safe" or "extremely safe" in the city, compared to 27% who feel "not safe" or "not safe at all."

• 75% of respondents are "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with officers' response time to their 911 calls, while 71% say the reason for their call was resolved to their satisfaction.
• The survey is sent to people through automated text or email messages after they call 911.

What's next: Denver police are planning to conduct another public safety survey in the fourth quarter of this year, the agency said in a statement.

• DPD is also analyzing neighborhood-specific issues identified by Seattle University's survey to create tailored safety plans based on those challenges.

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