The City of Oswego is launching a new community engagement system to allow residents to provide their local police department with important feedback. 

The system will allow residents to answer text message surveys following an emergency.

Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow said the system is a produce of police reimagining plan committee meetings. He said the city is always looking for ways it can improve the police department.

This new service is going to be launched in about two weeks in order to garner feedback. After someone in the city calls 911 following an accident, a minor incident, or non-life threatening situation, they will receive a text message about 24 hours later.

That message will be delivered during regular business hours and ask residents to complete a quick survey. The city is hoping to collect information ranging from the quality of the police response to feedback on officers. The surveys are quick and will also allow people to provide specific comments about their experience.

"We want the public to be happy and to be satisfied with the service they get from our officers.  But also identify on the department side, where we're lacking.  Maybe what calls we handled better than others and also gauge individual officers," said Barlow.

Barlow said if people have a great experience they're encouraged to express their satisfaction. After all he said those comments can help boost morale of the officers within the department. City residents will also be able to opt out of the messaging system by simply texting "OPT OUT" once they receive a survey request.

The mayor said the surveys will be sent out using the Power Engage system. He said a similar system is used to send out text messages to city residents who are signed up. That system is used for city announcements regarding things like snow removal and road closure updates.