Public comments wanted for Public Safety Survey

The Missoula County Community Justice Department is seeking public input for a survey about public safety. The department will use responses to the survey to inform new definitions and measurements of public safety in Missoula County.

People 18 or older who live or work in Missoula County are invited to participate in the study by taking a five-minute online survey available at https://umsl.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1WShvegCWtZdxqe. The survey is open through the end of September. Participants can remain anonymous or provide identifying information to have an opportunity to win gift cards.

In addition to Missoula County, researchers at the University of Missouri, St. Louis are working with Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and St. Louis County, Missouri to conduct the study. Researchers will use the study to help develop and sustain innovative methods to make communities across the country safer.

The survey has three goals:

• Identify and describe local trends in public safety

• Document current understandings of safety and identify what crimes are causing the biggest disruptions locally

• Gather information from a broad range of stakeholders to develop an inclusive and community-driven definition and measurements of public safety.

This project is funded by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge Research Consortium. Since 2017, the county has received $1.4 million in grant funds from the MacArthur Foundation to reduce the jail population and recidivism.

 

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