The Associated Press
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) - A survey intended to identify and then solve problems in the police department has unintentionally exposed the level of discontent among some employees.
Park City officials last week were trying to stem a tide of discontent among the ranks of its 42-member police department after the results of a questionnaire conducted by the Fraternal Order of Police were released.
“This has been a tough one,” police Chief Lloyd Evans said. “The FOP’s intention was absolutely good. They wanted to identify problems and work to fix them.”
But some who filled out the survey used it as a venue to vent their frustrations.
Fewer than half of the department’s 27 officers and 15 civilian staffers completed the questionnaire, which did not ask respondents for their names.
Of the 18 to 20 who responded to the survey, about three-fourths indicated there was little cooperation among the department’s various divisions; about half said they did not trust the police administration; more than a third placed the blame at the feet of the chief.
“It was very hard on the chief,” said Mayor Dana Williams, who puts little credence in a poll he called unfair.
Nonetheless, Williams said city leaders want to know the basis of the complaints.
“Lloyd is extremely approachable. If there is any officer in his department who wants to make known problems, his door is always open,” Williams said. “But I think this is a wake-up call to management that there are issues.”
Both Williams and City Manager Tom Bakaly said they had full confidence in Evans, a 27-year veteran of the Park City Police Department.
The city’s administration moved swiftly after survey results indicated potential morale issues, Bakaly said.
The chief established an advisory team made up of department employees to identify issues and recommend solutions. In addition, the department met as a whole and invited staffers to speak freely.
In the end, the flap may be a good thing since the department appears to be pulling together, said officer Mike Fierro, who heads the advisory team.
“We’re moving forward. Out of something negative, a lot of good has come. This is a catalyst that will give us direction on where we want to go,” he said.