The Laguna Beach Police Employees’ Association issued a survey via email to its city employees and law enforcement members early July 2021 in order to obtain data about police morale. Per the city council’s request, the survey was conducted by the National Research Center (NRC) at Polco, who provide local governments and other organizations with survey research data.
The Laguna Beach Police Employees’ Association survey was conducted to assess possible challenges in the workplace, job satisfaction and engagement in order to improve the work environment at the Laguna Beach Police Department.
All full-time Laguna Beach Police Department employees were eligible to complete the survey. Out of the 86 surveys sent out 61 were completed, providing a 71% response rate.
More than nine in 10 employees rated the quality of law enforcement services in Laguna Beach highly, and the quality of work completed in the unit was rated similarly. A little over 90% of respondents also rated their fellow staff members as good or excellent.
Job satisfaction, however, was not rated as highly. About 70% of respondents disclosed that they were satisfied with their job, but approximately one-third of the remaining respondents revealed that they had considered quitting in the past year. Fewer than 60% of employees recommended working at the police department.
Benefits, compensation and overall inclusivity were ranked the lowest. Less than 60% of respondents scored these areas as excellent, good or fair.
About 97% of Laguna Beach employees felt that Laguna Beach residents appreciated them, while one-half rated the appreciation from city leadership negatively.
This information posed a potential problem to the city since low levels of trust in commanding staff can create an unstable work environment as explained by police stress researcher and former police officer Jarrod Sadulski.
“It impacts the quality of police services in a significant way that can have an adverse impact on the community,” Sadulski said.
Despite the reported statistics, Laguna Beach City Manager Shohreh Dupuis revealed that she wasn’t troubled by the information presented in the survey.
“I’m not really that concerned about it,” Dupuis said. “When you are part of a small police department, there are not a lot of opportunities … to specialize. A lot of younger police officers, when they go to work for a small organization, [realize] they want to work for a larger organization like the Sheriff’s Department.”
Dupuis’ statement has raised concern.
“We’re troubled by that statement and her lack of concern,” the Association’s Board of Directors said to the Laguna Beach Independent. “It’s true; we do have fewer specialty positions than larger agencies, but that’s not why most people leave. Frankly, we should all be concerned when quality employees leave, regardless of the reason.”
During a council meeting on Jan. 11, Councilmember George Weiss brought attention to the information presented in the survey.
“It’s very disturbing that such a high percentage of people in our police department would leave for another job,” Weiss said to the Independent. “It needs to be addressed.”
As observed by the department previously, mitigating issues such as low morale can encourage increases in engagement in the police community, recognition among their employees and inclusivity.
Alexia Hawley is a City News Intern for the winter 2022 quarter. She can be reached at adhawley@uci.edu.
