Public Safety Survey

CLOSED: This survey is now closed.

This survey is now closed.

The Missoula County Community Justice Department sought public input in October for a survey about public safety. The department will use responses to the survey to inform new definitions and measurements of public safety in Missoula County. People 18 or older who live or work in Missoula County were invited to participate in the study by taking a five-minute survey. The survey closed Friday, Oct. 7.

In addition to Missoula County, researchers at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, worked with Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and St. Louis County, Missouri, to conduct the study. Researchers will use the study to help develop and sustain innovative methods to make communities across the country safer.

The survey had three goals:

Identify and describe local trends in public safety
Document current understandings of safety and identify what crimes are causing the biggest disruptions locally
Gather information from a broad range of stakeholders to develop an inclusive and community-driven definition and measurements of public safety

This project is funded by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety & Justice Challenge Research Consortium. The Safety & Justice Challenge is a national initiative to safely reduce jail populations. The Safety & Justice Challenge examines the efficiency of justice system processes and offers pretrial and reentry programming and services based on local data and evidence-based screening methods. Missoula County is one of the 57 cities, counties and states participating in the consortium network. Since 2017, the county has received $1.4 million in grant funds from the MacArthur Foundation to reduce the jail population and recidivism. Learn more about the jail diversion efforts online.

If you have been involved in the criminal justice system at some point in your life and you wish to stay involved in this study, please contact Safety and Justice Challenge Coordinator Chelsea Wittmann at cwittmann@missoulacounty.us or 406-258-3838. The Community Justice Department is seeking individuals who have been involved in the criminal justice system to help with the next step of this study, and you may be compensated for your help.

And for all others, stay tuned! The Community Justice Department will issue a second survey for this study that we will need your input on. Afterwards, the Community Justice Department will publish a report of the findings from this study.

This study has concluded.