The Saskatoon Police Service recently conducted their latest community satisfaction survey which found that 87 per cent of respondents are overall satisfied with the Saskatoon Police Service.

That’s a decline from 2017 when the overall satisfaction rate was at 93 per cent.

During the latest survey, 526 Saskatoon residents were surveyed over the phone from October 7th through November 9th. Ninety-eight per cent of respondents support the use of body-worn cameras by police generally and more than 84 per cent percent of those surveyed perceive SPS officers to be hardworking, courteous, honest and fair.

Chief Troy Cooper said the only city comparable in size that recently conducted a similar survey was Victoria. Eighty-two per cent of those who took part in Victoria’s survey were overall satisfied with the police service in that city.

Mayor Charlie Clark says the reduction in overall satisfaction with police service isn’t just limited to Saskatoon.

“It’s challenging to see there has been a drop in some of the satisfaction and in some of the confidence and I do think that is also a function of some of the realities that policing is facing right across North America.”

Clark says the best way forward is to continue to take seriously and understand how the police service is able to continue to understand the issues of systemic racism as Saskatoon continues to become a more diverse community.

The findings will be used by the police to determine which parts are already aligned with the Saskatoon Police Service business plan and what lessons can be learned from the data.

Every three years, the Saskatoon Police Service hires an independent company to conduct the survey.