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Open Community Survey for the Racial Bias Audit of the Duluth Police Department

The Duluth Police Department is renewing its goal to build trust with its community, that’s why the Department partnered with a group of community leaders to launch a racial bias audit of its policing practices. Now, as part of this audit, Duluthians have a chance to share their perspective on policing in Duluth and on the advisory body designed to strengthen trust between the Department and the community, through a new community survey. 

This survey is open through April 16, 2023. It will provide insight into BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community members’ interactions with officers, awareness of the Duluth Citizen Review Board, and opinions about the accessibility of the current complaint process that is available to community members who have concerns about their interactions with officers. All individuals who are 16 years or older and live in Duluth or spend a considerable amount of time in the city are eligible to participate in the survey. This feedback will help guide the final recommendations of the racial bias audit for the Duluth Police Department and city leadership.

The goal of the racial bias audit is to determine what the city’s police department does well, where it needs improvement, and what it needs to change in order to follow best practices in equitable policing and strong accountability measures. The goals and objectives of the audit can be found here under "Scope of Service" on pages 6-9.

“This community survey is an essential part of the audit because it allows us to hear directly from members of the community and understand their opinions on police practices, oversight, and accountability,” says Dr. Katie Zafft, lead auditor of the CJI team. “The perspectives of Duluthians must be reflected in the audit for it to provide a fair assessment and effective recommendations for the future.”

The community survey will be open through April 16th using this link: https://surveys.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8hKGzwooIjhTIaO. More information on the racial bias audit, including monthly progress updates from CJI to the Racial Bias Audit Team, can be found on the racial bias audit webpage.

Questions about the community survey or audit can be directed to either CJI at: duluthaudit@cjinstitute.org, the Duluth Police Department at: DPD_PIO@duluthmn.gov, or the Racial Bias Audit Team at: rbat.duluth@gmail.com.

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