LTC 258-2002
'" .. ~~
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH ".",..
Office of the City Manager ~
LETTER TO THE COMMISSION - LTC NUMBER: 25?~
-
From:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez J..~. .
City Manager fJ'!- :1
Business Attitu~s To~ard Crime-A North District Survey prepared by
Florida International University School of Policy and Management
Date: November 5, 2002
To:
Subject:
The purpose of this Letter to the Commission is to provide the Mayor and Commission with
the results of a survey of the business community and their attitudes toward crime.
As way of background, the survey questionnaire was developed by the Police Department
in partnership with the Department of Criminal Justice, School of Policy Management at
Florida International University (FlU). 200 surveys were distributed by volunteers during
the months of June and July of 2002. The responses were anonymous and analyzed by
staff at FlU.
Following are some highlights of the survey with the entire survey attached to this
memorandum. The data collected assists staff with identifying and allocating the resources
necessary to address concerns shared by the business community in the North District as
well as quality of life issues common to residents and businesses alike, especially in light of
the fact that more than half of the respondents also live on Miami Beach.
I am particularly pleased with the responses to the survey component on "Quality of Police
Service," which rates the satisfaction with police services. The overall survey results
suggest that the Police Department and the business community have an excellent working
partnership.
Business Survey Highlights
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very
WORRY ABOUT CRIME Safe Safe Unsafe Unsafe
How safe do you feel walking alone in your 21.4% 45.3% 21.4% 12.0%
business area after dark?
Are you worried that you will be a victim of a 14.7% 54.3% 30.2% N/A
violent crime at vour business?
How worried are you about being robbed at your 21.7% 58.3% 20.0% N/A
business?
How worried are you that someone will break into 33.0% 45.2% 21.7% N/A
your business while vou are not there?
How often does your worry about crime prevent 10.8% 31.5% 43.2% 14.2%
you from doing things you would like to do in your
business area?
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LETTER TO THE COMMISSION
November 5, 2002
Page 2
Greatest Concerns
. Public drinking
& intoxication
. Loitering
. Retail theft
. Homelessness
.
Quality of Police Service
Excellent Good Fair Poor
Rate police working with 36.5% 48.7% 13.0% 0.9%
business.
Satisfaction with Police Services
Very Satisfied Dissatisfied Very
Satisfied Dissatisfied
Satisfaction with quality of 38.8% 55.3% 7.0% 0.9%
police services.
Ease of ontact and Timelv ResJ)onse
Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly
Acree Disaaree
MBPD officers are easy to 43.5% 48.7% 6.1% 1.7%
contact.
MBPD officers respond 36.0% 51.8% 11.4% 0.9%
Quickly to calls.
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JMG\D~M\~S\HDC
F:\POLlITECHSERV\POLlCIESICOM_MEMO\Surveyon Business Attitude towards Crime-Nov 2002 L TC.doc