The process of police reform is underway around the Hudson Valley and New York, and some members of the Newburgh Police Department are going directly to the public to find ways the department can improve.

Lieutenant Brandon Rola and Officer Rachel Meyer are used to walking the beat here in the city, but their duties were a little different on a recent day.

Newburgh police officers are surveying the community to learn how residents feel about their police department. And these officers were hoping to get the word out.

"It'll just help us get feedback on how the community feels about the police service, things we can improve on," Rola said.

The new survey was part of Newburgh’s Collaborative Reform plan ordered by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. It calls on police departments to make operational changes or risk losing state funding.


What You Need To Know

  • The community survey is being administered independently by the National Police Foundation

  • Officers have been distributing cards with QR codes around the city so residents can fill out the survey online

  • To find out more information about the survey and how you can fill it out you can go to www.cityofnewburgh-ny.gov

Newburgh Police Chief Anthony Geraci said the survey gives the community a chance to voice their opinion.

"Organizationally, we're guided by the four principles of procedural justice. One of them is voice. More than just allowing them to speak its really listening to them," Geraci said.

The survey is anonymous and independently administered by the National Police Foundation, which means responses do not go to the department, but rather, to the nonprofit organization. 2

"I think perspective is so important nowadays, especially with law enforcement. Really, how does the public view us and do they view us?" Geraci said.

So far, they’ve received hundreds of responses, but the department is hoping to hear from thousands. That's why officers are hitting the streets, passing out QR codes in both English and Spanish, and going door to door to post the survey in local businesses.

"We just wondered if we could put it up somewhere in the building. We're just trying to get a pulse of how the community feels about the police department, things we can improve on," said Rola, who has been on the force for 16 years.

He said community relations is important to him.

"It's all about the community. We want to work with the community," he said.

Orenzo Charles is a credible messenger with Newburgh SNUG, an anti-gun violence organization that works to prevent violence through community-based mediation.

He said the survey is a good start.

"It's very useful," Charles said. "It gives the community a voice, and it gives them an opportunity to voice what they like about the police department and what they don’t like. Just that alone, I feel like it’s a great beginning."

As Charles works to prevent violence across the city, he wants to continue seeing officers be more active in the community.

"I see the police department try to make themselves as present as possible before incidents happen, and that’s just the greatest part of having that relationship with your community and the PD," he said. 

It's that kind of feedback that keeps Rola pushing to get more survey responses.

"The more we work with the community and they work with us, the better police we’ll be, the better service they’ll get and the more united as a city we'll be," Rola said.