A newly released policing survey has found that more than three-quarters of Ontario residents feel safe in their communities but more than half feel police are acting beyond their reach.
The Ontario Provincial Police conducted a Community Satisfaction Survey in 2022 between January 12 and March 16 to measure public opinion about the services provided by the police service to Ontario communities.
The results revealed that 77.8 per cent of respondents felt “safe” or “very safe” in their communities and 95.5 per cent felt “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the overall quality of services provided by the OPP.
However, 52.2 per cent of those surveyed felt the OPP exceeds their authority. The other 47.8 per cent felt that police authority was “almost never” or “rarely” exceeded by the OPP.
Around 67.3 per cent of respondents also stated that they “agree” or “strongly agree” that the OPP provides the same quality of service to all citizens, and 74.1 per cent said they felt the OPP are dealing with things that matter to people in the community.
For the survey, a total of 1,011 telephone surveys were completed in each provincial region. According to a report from the OPP, the survey results represent a margin of error no greater than plus or minus five per cent.
Due to significant changes made to the questionnaire and the survey methods, the OPP said it is impossible to make meaningful comparisons with the last survey, which was completed in 2018.
To read the full results of the survey, click here.