SANTA CRUZ >> To assess the concerns of city residents and identify opportunities for improvement, the Santa Cruz Police Department is asking community members to fill out a confidential survey.

“We want to ensure our department reflects the values and needs of the community,” said Santa Cruz police Chief Bernie Escalante in a statement. “This survey gives residents an opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences in a meaningful and anonymous way.”

According to the statement, the Santa Cruz Police Department is collaborating with the consulting firm Citygate Associates to conduct the online survey, which is part of a broader operations and staffing assessment by the department in an attempt to better serve the needs of city residents while also enhancing organizational efficiency.

The consultants adapted the survey from “Community Survey on Public Safety and Law Enforcement,” which was developed by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS Office.

The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and according to the website, “You may skip any survey items you do not feel comfortable responding to or know how to answer, but we encourage you to respond to as many items as possible. This is not a test, and there are no right or wrong answers. Please answer each question honestly.”

The department asks respondents to limit their responses to their experiences with and perceptions of city of Santa Cruz police and not other law enforcement agencies such as the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office or other nearby agencies.Some of the questions in the survey include, “To what extent does the Santa Cruz Police Department regularly communicate with community members?” and “To what extent do you trust the Santa Cruz Police Department?” among other queries.

The survey is available until July 31 and the Santa Cruz Police Department stresses that it is confidential and no names or identifying information of respondents will be collected.

To take the survey, visit citygateassociates.com/santacruzsurvey.