Your Voice Matters

For the 11^th consecutive year, Seattle University’s Crime and Justice Research Center is teaming with the Seattle Police Department to administer the annual Seattle University public safety survey. The survey, which plays a pivotal role in helping determine what the most common perceptions of crime and safety in Seattle are among residents and workers, is open through Nov. 30.

Independently conducted by a research team from SU’s Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology & Forensics, the survey is a central component of SPD’s Micro-Community Policing Plans and available in several languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese and more.

Led by Professor Dr. Jacqueline Helfgott, director of SU’s Crime and Justice Research Center, a team of Seattle University graduate and undergraduate students analyze the survey results to identify top crime concerns perceptions of public safety-related quality of life at the citywide, precinct and neighborhood levels. Survey results will be provided to the SPD ahead of community-police dialogues scheduled for March–August 2026.

“No Seattle neighborhood is alike when it comes to crime and public safety,” Dr. Helfgott says. “It’s vital that people who live and/or work in Seattle make their voices heard to help law enforcement understand how crime and public safety impact quality of life. Data from this survey provides important information for the city to help the Seattle Police Department and the community work together to identify priorities and strategies to improve quality of life in Seattle neighborhoods.”