Overview

• The department opened an anonymous online questionnaire that requires a ZIP code and asks residents to rank priorities and share how they feel around officers and about safety concerns.
• Commissioner Kevin Bethel and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker describe the effort as a first for the department, emphasizing a bottom-up process built on trust.
• More than 200 stakeholders are contributing, including City Council, mayoral staff, business and community leaders, a youth group ages 14–21, and families of shooting victims, with neighborhood meetings underway.
• Early focus areas include recruitment and retention, expanded training, officer wellness, and a clearer model for community policing.
• Modernization under consideration includes a $67 million forensics lab in University City and testing of drones as potential force multipliers, with community discussions about their use.