The recently-released Haines Borough Police Department study from Russell Consulting claims a public survey about the police was “heavily promoted within the community,” but no one this week was able to say where or when those postings advertising the survey appeared.
The study says only one person responded to the survey “intended to capture the community’s perception of the police department and its services.”
“The survey was heavily promoted within the community via local news media, Internet and social media outlets,” Greg Russell wrote in the report.
When contacted Wednesday and asked for his basis in making that statement, Russell said he received that information from manager David Sosa.
Sosa said Wednesday the information was posted, but couldn’t say specifically where or when.
The Chilkat Valley News has no record of ads promoting the survey, and a reporter could not find evidence of postings on the Haines Borough’s website or its Facebook pages.
Clerk Julie Cozzi, who is traditionally responsible for posting public notices, said she wasn’t involved with any postings relating to a police department public survey.
“I wasn’t involved in that. I have zero knowledge,” Cozzi said.
Public Safety Commission chair Jim Stanford also recently said he recalled generation of a survey being mentioned at the beginning of the study process, but said he never heard anything after that.
Sosa said regardless of how many people took the survey, he believes the report still gives an “accurate assessment of the department.”