By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
Wyoming community members will be among the first in West Michigan to use a new community engagement and feedback solution after an interaction with the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. This new service uses text messaging to contact community members after calls to dispatch or after receiving certain police services.
These text messages are sent shortly after the incident and will ask community members to take a quick survey about their experience with the dispatch and our officers. It will also allow them to provide comments, feedback, or words of gratitude after receiving public safety service. Text surveys will begin going out later this week.
This product, called PowerEngage, will send text message surveys to those whose number is recorded as part of a call for service or in an officer’s report. Community members can also take a text message survey and provide feedback even if they did not receive a text message. The department will soon be announcing a number dedicated to sharing feedback, and QR codes will be made available to scan and start that conversation.
Residents that do not want to participate can simply not respond or let the department know in advance by calling 616-530-7309 and the person’t number will never receive a survey. As with all texts, residents may reply with STOP and that will opt them out of all future text surveys from the department.
It is important that everyone know that these surveys should not be used to report any type of emergency or crime. Call 9-1-1 for any emergency or to report any criminal activity.
“It is important for our department to hear from the community about how we are doing, especially from those that we have recently met,” said Wyoming Department of Public Safety Chief Kim Koster. “This new product, called PowerEngage, will give me access to community feedback in near real time, providing insights into areas where we can improve the service we provide to Wyoming. It also has potential to boost officer morale when positive feedback is provided.”
Members of the community may provide feedback to the Wyoming Department of Public Safety through the new survey option or at City’s website feedback option at https://www.wyomingmi.gov/Contact.
