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2011 COPS Hiring Program (CHP)

Community Policing Self-Assessment Tool (CP-SAT)

The Community Policing Self-Assessment Tool (CP-SAT) is an online survey that helps your agency measure its progress in implementing community policing. CP-SAT confidentially captures information about community partnerships, problem solving, and organizational impact. Upon completion, agencies will receive an easy-to-use automated report that summarizes their data so agency management can identify the community policing strengths and areas for improvement. It is mandatory that all 2011 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grantees administer the CP-SAT in their agency at the beginning of the grant period and at the end of the grant period. The first CP-SAT administration dates for 2011 CHP grantees are May 1, 2012 and July 9, 2012. All 2011 CHP grantees will be contacted by ICF International, our project partners for administering the CP-SAT, with their assigned administration date. CHP grantees will be notified again towards the end of the grant period for their second assigned CP-SAT administration date.

Introduction: It is mandatory that all 2011 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grantees administer the CP-SAT Short Form in their agency at the beginning and at the end of their grant period. This survey is intended to be a useful management tool for your agency and will not negatively impact your grant or future funding opportunities with the COPS Office. This survey captures overall community policing efforts and does not assess an agency's community policing implementation under a specific grant. It is also different from the progress reports required for your COPS hiring grant(s).

If you are a 2009 COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) grantee looking for information on the CP-SAT, please refer to the CHRP CP-SAT page. If you are both a 2009 CHRP grantee and a 2011 CHP grantee, please refer to FAQ #18. If you are a 2010 COPS Hiring Program grantee or a non-grantee agency who is looking to implement the CP-SAT, the online version of the CP-SAT is currently not available to you; however, we are exploring options that would make the CP-SAT available. Please refer to FAQ #2.

Purpose of CP-SAT: This assessment allows agencies to measure the extent to which community policing has been implemented within their agency.

Background of CP-SAT: This tool was developed with significant input from community policing experts and practitioners and was designed to meet scientific standards for rigor, while also being user-friendly. This tool was created based on over five years of work by COPS, ICF International, and Police Executive Research Forum and has been administered in agencies across the country. The tool is currently being administered by ICF International on behalf of the COPS Office.

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CP-SAT Modules

The CP-SAT will measure the three key components of community policing:


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Description of CP-SAT Short Form


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Benefits


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Process for Participation: Overall Steps

Step 1: Agency receives email from ICF International with assigned CP-SAT administration period (either May 1, 2012 - May 22, 2012 OR July 9, 2012 - July 30, 2012).

Step 2: Agency selects a key contact to be responsible for administering the CP-SAT to agency staff and community partners.

Step 3: Agency emails or calls ICF (CPSAT@icfsurveys.com or 877.99.CPSAT) to confirm they have received their assigned administration date and to start the CP-SAT process.

Step 4: Once agency contacts ICF to agree to administration date, agency receives email from ICF International with details about CP-SAT administration (including example invitation and reminder email language, survey URL, and agency passcode).

Step 5: Agency key contact:

Step 6: Agency key contact emails survey invitation and two survey reminders to staff and community partners on specified dates.

 Step 7: ICF tracks response rate and emails agencies with low response after two weeks of administration.

Step 8: After the three-week administration period ends, ICF generates a summary report and emails the report to agency key contact.

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Contact Information

Email or call ICF at CPSAT@icfsurveys.com or 877.99.CPSAT (877.992.7728) with any questions.

CP-SAT FAQs

  1. What is the CP-SAT?
    The Community Policing Self-Assessment Tool (CP-SAT) was developed by the COPS Office, ICF International, and the Police Executive Research Forum. This tool was created to provide agencies with the ability to measure the extent to which they have implemented community policing initiatives and provide them direction with areas that they can develop.

  2. Who is eligible to use the CP-SAT?
    Currently, the CP-SAT is available to 2009 CHRP grantees and is a mandatory requirement for 2011 CHP grantees. If you are a 2009 CHRP grantee, please visit the CHRP website for more specific information. If you are a 2010 CHP grantee or a non-grantee agency that is looking to implement the CP-SAT, we are currently exploring options and you may contact the COPS Response Center at askCopsRC@usdoj.gov for a status update.

  3. Why is the CP-SAT required?
    You can reference the 2011 CHP Grant Owners Manual, page 19, grant condition #15. It states:
    • Community Policing Self-Assessment tool (CP-SAT)
      The COPS Office will require your agency to complete the Community Policing Self Assessment Tool (CP SAT) twice within the grant period, once at the beginning and again towards the end of your grant period.
    • Why This Condition:
      The Community Policing Self Assessment Tool (CP SAT) is intended to create an objective measure of your current community policing practices. You will receive a report summarizing your agency's community policing activities, which will help you to design your strategic plan, training, and performance reporting initiatives based on your agency's community policing strengths and areas in need of additional attention. The CP SAT is provided free of charge as a resource to manage your policing goals; it measures community policing activities and successes, but it does not capture outcome or impact indicators. Administering the CP SAT twice during your grant period will allow your agency to compare the progress of your community policing practices and provide a tool for your administration to reflect back on your agency's accomplishments. The CP SAT resource can be used as a long term tool for your agency's planning and training, even after your grant period expires.
    • What You Should Do:
      This grant condition is to make your agency aware of the CP SAT administration requirement associated with CHP grants. The CP SAT essentially consists of a short community policing survey which will be administered to your agency staff. The COPS Office, through a third-party provider, will conduct this survey and support the entire process, minimizing any burden on your agency personnel. Within three months after you return your signed grant award document, you will be contacted to begin the CP SAT process. For more information on the CP SAT, see www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2584.

  4. When will my agency take the CP-SAT?
    All 2011 CHP grantees are required to administer the CP-SAT in their agencies within the first year and last year of their grants. First year administration dates for 2011 CHP grantees begin May 1, 2012 and July 9, 2012. All 2011 CHP grantees will be contacted by ICF International in February 2012 with their assigned administration date. Administration dates for 2014 (i.e., the last year of the 2011 CHP grants) are not yet determined, but each agency will be contacted closer to the end of their grant with CP-SAT administration details.

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  5. How many times will I be required to take the CP-SAT?
    All 2011 CHP grantees are required to administer the CP-SAT in their agencies twice - within the first year and last year of their grants. First year administration dates for 2011 CHP grantees begin May 1, 2012 and July 9, 2012. All 2011 CHP grantees will be contacted by ICF International in February 2012 with their assigned administration date. Administration dates for 2014 (i.e., the last year of the 2011 CHP grants) are not yet determined, but each agency will be contacted closer to the end of their grant with CP-SAT administration details.

  6. Who completes the CP-SAT?
    The survey is completed by sworn staff at all levels, civilian staff who work on community partnerships and/or problem solving, and representatives from community partner organizations who are knowledgeable about the agency and how it interacts with partners and the community.

  7. Which community partners should be included?
    Community partnerships involve collaboration, shared power, and shared decision-making with the law enforcement agency. While partners and relationships in the community can take many forms, for this assessment, it is best to include individuals/organizations who have formally agreed to work together in the pursuit of common goals. The community partner portion of the assessment asks questions such as:
    • How much does the law enforcement agency collaborate in developing shared goals for problem-solving efforts with your organization?
    • To what degree does the law enforcement agency provide sufficient resources (e.g., financial, staff time, personnel, equipment, political, and/or managerial support) to support the work of your partnership?
    • To what extent does the law enforcement agency develop relationships with community members (e.g., residents, organizations, and groups)?

  8. As a participant completing the survey, which staff type should I select in the first question of the CP-SAT?
    • Line officer - you hold a non-supervisory position in the agency.
    • First line supervisor/Middle management - you hold a supervisory position in the agency.
    • Command staff - you hold one of the top positions in your agency (e.g., chief).
    • Civilian staff - you are a non-sworn staff member of the police agency.
    • Community partner - you do not work for the police agency, but have formally agreed to work in a partnership with the agency in the pursuit of common goals.

    If you do not work for the police agency, please select "Community partner." A community partner is an individual who has, or works for an organization that has, formally agreed to work in a partnership with a law enforcement agency in the pursuit of common goals. Community partnerships involve a two-way relationship that involves collaboration, shared power, and shared decision-making with the law enforcement agency (e.g., media, business owner, city employee in Public Works department).

    If you are a volunteer for the police agency who provides support services to the agency without monetary benefit, please select "Civilian". Services a volunteer performs typically include community outreach, telephone work, research, and other administrative tasks.

    If you are a detective or a member of a special operations unit (e.g., gang unit, SWAT, school resource officer), please select the level of sworn staff that best fits with your level in the agency. For example, please select "First-line supervisor/Middle management" if you are a supervisor, but select "Line officer" if you have a non-supervisory position in your unit.

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  9. Is the CP-SAT offered in any languages other than English?
    In addition to English, the COPS Office currently offers a Spanish language version of the CP-SAT Short Form for each agency's community partners.* Spanish language versions of the survey are not available for other participants, such as patrol officers, command staff, and civilian staff. If your agency has community partners who would prefer the Spanish version of the survey, please notify ICF and they will provide your agency with Spanish distribution and reminder email language and the URL for the Spanish community partner survey. For each agency, results from the Spanish language survey will be combined with the results of the English language survey in order to preserve participant confidentiality and to fully report on all data collected.

    * Community Partners include individuals/organizations who have formally agreed to work together in the pursuit of common goals. Community partnerships involve a two-way relationship that involves collaboration, shared power, and shared decision-making with the law enforcement agency.

  10. How long does the survey take to complete?
    The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete per respondent.

  11. Who administers the survey?
    Each agency selects a key contact who will administer the CP-SAT Short Form to participants, including sending the initial survey invitation and at least two reminder emails. The key contact will not have access to a participant's survey responses. ICF International will provide instructions and all survey materials to the agency prior to their assigned administration date. ICF will also track survey response rate and prepare and send the automated report to each agency.

  12. What type of report will my agency receive upon completing the CP-SAT?
    Each participating agency will receive an automated report, which summarizes their results in a user-friendly format. Although the report does not interpret the data collected, it allows the agency to assess the extent to which community policing has been implemented across various aspects of community policing and among units and ranks. Through the identification of community policing strengths and areas for improvement, your agency will be able to enhance its community policing efforts. Click here for an excerpt from an example report. In addition to the exhibits included in the example report, each agency will be provided descriptive statistics (e.g., number of responses, mean, standard deviation) for each item on the CP-SAT Short Form to further aid in report interpretation and strategic decision-making.

    After each agency participates in the CP-SAT process a second time in the last year of their grant period (see FAQ #5), agencies will receive a report that displays their scores for both administrations (i.e., pre/post) to document changes in community policing activities over time.

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  13. Are all responses kept confidential?
    Responses to this survey will be kept confidential to the extent provided by law. There are no individual identifiers in the data that the agency will receive, and the agency will not be able to link an individual's data to the participant.

  14. As a participant completing the survey, will my administrator or police chief have access to my responses?
    No. Responses to this survey will be kept confidential to the extent provided by law. There are no individual identifiers in the data that the agency will receive, and the agency will not be able to link an individual's data to the participant. The survey administrator and police chief will have access to the agency final report that will provide a summary of all participants' data from your agency.

  15. Who sees my agency's results? The final report will be provided to the chief executive of the law enforcement agency. The executive will determine how the report is distributed in his or her agency. To maximize the benefit of the CP-SAT, we encourage you to share the results with your organization and community partners in order to congratulate them on the successes and identify strategies to enhance your delivery of community policing.

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  16. How can the COPS Office support my agency in areas of community policing that need improvement? Your agency may contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 or email at askCOPSRC@usdoj.gov if the assessment results show the agency is low in an area of community policing. The COPS Office is well-equipped to provide your agency with various resources (e.g., knowledge products, toolkits, and/or training opportunities). Additionally, you can visit this website www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2589 for a set of helpful community policing resources.

  17. What if I am a 2009 CHRP grantee looking for information on the CP-SAT? As a part of the 2009 COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) grant, you have the option of participating in the CP-SAT until fall of 2012.Please refer to the CHRP CP-SAT page for more information.

  18. What if I am both a 2009 CHRP Grant recipient and a 2011 CHP Grant recipient? As a grant recipient in both years, it is elective to participate in the CP-SAT as a 2009 CHRP Grant recipient; however, it is a grant requirement through the 2011 CHP award. Therefore, you must participate in the CP-SAT. The unique difference for you is as follows: As a 2009 CHRP grantee, you have the option to conduct a second round in a pre-post type scenario. As a 2011 CHP grantee, you are required to take a pre-post assessment.

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