Police Chief Recruitment Survey

The City of Virginia Beach is seeking input from the community to assist with the recruitment of the next Chief of Police. Your responses to this survey will help identify key characteristics, skills, traits and issues to consider in the review of applicants. We welcome your responses to the questions.

This survey will be open for responses through Sunday, June 21, 2020.

What do you believe are the top five most important leadership qualities the police chief should possess?

Ethical

61%

Integrity

54%

Holds employees accountable

48%

Trustworthy

47%

Invests in staff development and training

40%

Supports implementation of recognized best practices in policing

31%

Transparent

30%

Respects diverse communities

29%

Facilitates open and honest dialogue with all communities

29%

Forward Thinking

26%

Strives to have department reflect the diverse communities they serve

23%

Approachable

22%

Communicative

21%

Employs community policing

13%

Accessible

Other

Closed to responses | 1,475 Responses

What qualifications do you believe are essential for our next police chief? (Please choose up to three).

Crisis management experience

38%

Experience with engaging diverse communities

33%

Experience with policing in a resort city or similar experience (out of town guests, large scale events)

31%

Prior experience leading a police organization

24%

Proven track record of reducing crime

24%

Experience deploying innovative practices and technology

20%

Successful community policing initiatives

20%

Record of community involvement

20%

Experience implementing major changes

16%

Experience working with other law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions

16%

Experience with recruiting and retaining minority officers

13%

Possession of professional credentials (FBI National Academy, Senior Management Institute for Police, etc.)

11%

Strong public speaking skills

Other

Budget management

Managing civic demonstrations

Closed to responses | 1,410 Responses

Please select five attributes you believe the police chief should possess.

Integrity

82%

Accountable

66%

Problem Solver

62%

Professional

59%

Listener

45%

Credible

33%

Civic Focused

32%

Driven

18%

Considerate

18%

Thoughtful

15%

Vigilant

14%

Sense of humor

13%

Creative

11%

Polite

Other

Demanding

Closed to responses | 1,404 Responses

What do you believe to be the top three community issues the new Police Chief will need to address?

Building positive relationships with our diverse communities

53%

Crime prevention and reduction

50%

Strengthening police-community partnerships and collaboration

48%

Police accountability

47%

Gang prevention and intervention

25%

Building positive relationships with young people

24%

Neighborhood-problem solving

17%

Building relationships with other law enforcement agencies

Reducing response times to emergency calls for service

Interfacing with the business community

Other

Increasing traffic enforcement

Closed to responses | 1,392 Responses

What policies and practices do you believe should be the initial focus of the new police chief? (Please choose up to three).

Supporting the officers and other personnel who work for the police department

43%

Holding the police department accountable for actions and outcomes

36%

Establishing a strong leadership/command staff

28%

Seeking solutions to the underlying causes of criminal activities

25%

Implementing training programs to reduce bias

25%

Strengthening partnerships with neighborhood and other local groups

22%

Development of a plan to accelerate the use of body cameras

21%

Updating policies and procedures

19%

Developing appropriate response protocols based on crime trends

19%

Career development of a diverse and inclusive police force

17%

Managing resources during times of fiscal restraint(s)

14%

Recruiting more women and minorities as officers

12%

Increased presence at community events

Enhancing partnerships with other city agencies

Other

Closed to responses | 1,369 Responses

What one piece of advice would you like to give the new police chief?

Closed for Comments

Voluntary Demographic Information

Your age:

41 - 55

37%

26 - 40

28%

56 - 65

19%

66+

11%

18 - 25

Under 18

Closed to responses | 1,323 Responses

Your race /ethnicity (choose all that apply):

White

74%

African American or Black

15%

Other

Hispanic / Latino / Spanish

Asian

American Indian or Alaska Native

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Closed to responses | 1,257 Responses

What was your approximate household income in 2019? (choose one)

More than $100,000

37%

$81,000 - $100,000

18%

$61,000 - $80,000

17%

$41,000 - $60,000

17%

$21,000-$40,000

Less than $20,000

Closed to responses | 1,248 Responses

What is your home zip code?

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Police Chief Recruitment Survey

Police Chief Recruitment Survey

This survey will be open for responses through Sunday, June 21, 2020.

Question title

What do you believe are the top five most important leadership qualities the police chief should possess?

Question title

What qualifications do you believe are essential for our next police chief? (Please choose up to three).

Question title

Please select five attributes you believe the police chief should possess.

Question title

What do you believe to be the top three community issues the new Police Chief will need to address?

Question title

What policies and practices do you believe should be the initial focus of the new police chief? (Please choose up to three).

Question title

What one piece of advice would you like to give the new police chief?

Question title

Your age:

Question title

Your race /ethnicity (choose all that apply):

Question title

What was your approximate household income in 2019? (choose one)

Question title

What is your home zip code?