Elmira police survey: Shootings, violent crimes top list of resident concerns. See results
Nearly 60% of Elmira residents feel their police department is doing a good job serving the public, but large numbers would like to see more active intervention against gun and drug crimes.
Those are a few of the findings of an online survey launched in January by the Elmira Police Department to gather public input regarding crime in the city and police response.
The survey is part of the city's effort to tap into a state program known as the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative coordinated by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Last year, the city applied for a grant through that program, and one of the requirements was to give the community a voice in the process.
Survey results were released Thursday morning, and gun violence and violent crime in general, along with property crimes, were the top concerns listed by respondents.
"This allows the police department to see what the citizens of Elmira are most concerned about and place more of our efforts into combating these issues within the city and making the community safer," said Investigator Tristan Hillman, who took the lead on the survey for the police department.
Here are some of the key findings of the survey:
Shooting incidents were the biggest concern for 61% of respondents, followed closely by other violent crimes such as robbery and assault, and property crimes including burglary and trespassing. Nearly half the respondents were concerned about drug-related offenses, and 30% ranked theft among top issues.
Regarding police response, 36% felt it is somewhat good, while 23% said it was extremely good, 11% indicated not very good, 8% said not good at all, and 22% were neutral.
More than 30% of respondents disagreed with the statement that there has been a decrease in shootings and violent crimes in Elmira over the past year, and 19% strongly disagree. Only 19% agree or strongly agree.
More than half the participants believe most crimes in the city happen on the Southside, while nearly 40% say the Eastside is the most crime-ridden part of Elmira.
In addition to a focus on gun crime and drug crime intervention, respondents would like to see more foot and bicycle patrols, vacant residence checks, undercover efforts and face-to-face interaction with police.
One reason the police department wanted to take advantage of the GIVE program was a statistic indicating there were twice as many shootings in Elmira in 2023 as there were five years prior, Police Chief Kristen Thorne said.
The public feedback will be vital for future planning, he said.
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"More directed foot patrols was a goal made for this year, especially in the downtown business district," Thorne said. "The foot patrols should lead to more face-to-face interactions."
About 80% of respondents said they were comfortable contacting the police, but Thorne would like to see that number even higher.
"The 80%, just looking at the number, is high but obviously the ultimate goal is 100%," he said. "We would want all people to feel comfortable in contacting EPD if they are the victim of or a witness to a crime."
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira police release survey results. What does public want to see?
