This report discusses the insights and analyses of survey data collected from Austin community members through a citywide survey provided between February and April 2022. OPO received 525 survey submissions, including 443 digital submissions and 82 paper submissions.
OPO’s analysis included an analysis of respondents’ self-reported demographic information. The following are examples of some of the demographic data:
- Race/ethnicity:
- 51% of respondents identified as White.
- 11% of respondents identified as Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish.
- 7% of respondents identified as Black or African American.
2. Social class:
- 55% of respondents identified as middle class or upper-middle class.
- 7% of respondents identified as low-income or poor.
3. Physical and mental health conditions:
- 33% of respondents reported having a physical or mental health condition
- 73% of these respondents reported having one or more mental health conditions.
- 18% of these respondents reported having both a mental and physical health condition.
The following were key takeaways from the survey data:
- Most survey respondents were in favor of each OPO recommendation. For example:
- 66% of respondents believe the City should request and use public feedback when writing rules.
- 66% of respondents support revising APD policies to provide officers with clearer instructions for when they must stop recording audio and video with their cameras.
- 62% of respondents believe police officers should be required to acknowledge their use of body-worn cameras and dashboard cameras in a police report.
2. When compared to digital surveys, paper surveys captured more individuals who identified as low-income (27% versus 4%) and had a higher percentage of individuals who identified as Black or African American (23% versus 4%). In addition, the analysis revealed variations in participation from individuals identifying as male (54% versus 39%) or non-binary/genderqueer/genderfluid (9% versus 2%).
- These variations were among several identified when OPO compared digital and paper survey responses. Taken together, these variations suggest a need to potentially modify future outreach methods and reconsider the role of digital surveys in collecting community input.