Department Self Reviews are analyses which any department may undertake to determine how citizens view the department and its officers, how the officers view the citizens, and how the officers view themselves and their department.     These are for the purpose of evaluating important areas such as:

• Community perceptions of the department and its officers;
• Students’ perceptions of the department, its role as SRO if applicable, and officers;
• Businesses’ perceptions of the department and its officers;
• Community volunteers’ perceptions of the department and its officers; and
• Officers’ perceptions of the department, the community, their role in the community and their jobs. 

These reviews are performed through surveys of all groups using online resources and paper surveys when necessary.  All surveys are generated in the direction of the department and can also include questions about operations, administration, and investigations that may also reveal underlying policies and practices to be addressed.  Further, although designed to be quick and cursory, department self-reviews can reveal underlying issues with a department’s purpose, organizational alignment, mission, accountability, command-and-control, hiring, staffing, diversity, promotion, community-oriented policing, and degree of public trust.  Self-reviews generally span a period of one month, depending on the city and department size, after which a report is generated and delivered to the department for review and consideration. 

To address the need to gauge community and department sentiment, click here to download your toolkit to guide you through the Department Self Reviews Program for your city or department.