Policy development guide

The engagement platform Community Surveys by Axon collects focused and actionable feedback from 911 callers, the general public, and employees.

This policy development guide can help you design policies and procedures that may be necessary for your agency. The guide outlines Community Surveys features and identifies key questions that every agency should consider when developing a new policy or procedure. The guide also includes sample policy language that an agency may use as a framework for the specific requirements of your agency and its jurisdiction.

Key Features of Community Surveys

  • Post contact surveys
  • General public surveys
  • Automated messaging
  • Employee check-ins
  • Dashboards and data tables

These features enable a department leader, supervisor, or other authorized user to do the following:

  • View feedback in interactive dashboards
  • Interact with free-text feedback
  • Generate static reports of survey data, including charts, graphs, and free-text.
Disclaimer

This document is for general informational purposes only. Use of this information does not create a consultant-client relationship between the agency, its employees, or Axon Enterprise, Inc. This information is provided without any representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to their suitability, legal effect, completeness, accuracy, and/or appropriateness for any particular agency or jurisdiction. An agency should consult legal counsel to ensure compliance with any local laws, regulations, policies, or other requirements.

Policy Guidance

An agency can develop effective policies and procedures when it defines clear objectives and carefully considers the features of the technology it is seeking to integrate into its operations.

An agency should carefully consider how the data obtained from Community Surveys will be utilized in agency operations and personnel evaluation. To assist with this process, below are key questions to consider in developing a policy or modifying an existing policy to integrate the use of Community Surveys.

Considerations for post contact and general public surveys:

Who should have permissions to access the dashboard and view the survey responses provided by 911 callers and/or the general public?

  • An agency may authorize groups or individual staff members (e.g., watch commander, supervisor, PIO, etc.) to access the dashboard, generate reports, and view the survey responses. An agency should determine which roles or individuals should have access to this information. Varying permission levels can be set for view-only access, ability to export, share, etc. Transparency within an organization has shown to be impactful and insightful at all levels of an agency.

Should anyone outside of the agency be able to view survey responses?

  • Information provided by Community Surveys aids agencies in shaping their training, policies, and community engagement initiatives. Embedded dashboards can be created in agency-owned websites or other information sharing platforms (e.g., SharePoint). Access to individual community members can be granted by Community Surveys if they are designated as authorized users by the department.

What happens with negative comments or complaints?

  • Because we do not store contact information (e.g., phone numbers), this information is treated like an anonymous tip. Surveys are not intended to create formal complaints or commendations, and do not link to Internal Affairs. At the request of the agency, Community Surveys can provide an external link to a complaint/commendation form.
  • Negative comments or complaints submitted through Community Surveys can be used as a training opportunity to improve communication, observe best practices, and build trust. Agencies should focus on using feedback to drive a culture of service, rather than punishment for minor concerns.

How to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests?

  • Because the responses are de-identified, it is not possible to identify responses involving a specific staff member, phone number, or other variable. Responses can only be provided for time frames and configured geographic areas. All data is owned by the agency and is accessible via the Master Data table on your agency's dashboard.

Considerations for automated messaging:

Employee check-ins provide a unique opportunity to engage with staff on an ongoing basis. Feedback can help agencies support employee wellness, allocate resources, and gain insight on agency initiatives.

  • Feedback collected through Community Surveys is confidential and no identifiable information is collected. All data is aggregated for review.

Sample Policy Language

Policy statement:

It is the policy of [agency] to promote community engagement, maintain an agency culture centered around employee health and wellness, and achieve exceptional results. To aid in the accomplishment of that goal, [agency] utilizes automated community engagement and employee feedback solutions to receive ongoing feedback.

Definitions:

  1. Post Contact Surveys: An automated feedback tool provided by Axon that allows authorized users to collect and view feedback from 911 callers for pre-approved call-for service (CFS) categories.
  2. General Public Surveys: A public survey solution provided by Axon that allows authorized users to collect and view feedback from members of the general public.
  3. Automated Messaging: An alert provided to community members who contacted [agency] when a CFS generates.
  4. Employee Check-in: An automated feedback tool provided by Axon that allows authorized users to collect and view feedback from employees.

Review and use of data:

Agency personnel can access the data through the online portal provided by Axon. The information contained on the agency dashboard is considered internal and is not regularly disclosed or shared with members outside of [agency] unless authorized to do so.

Minor complaints submitted via surveys:

[Agency] understands that constructive or negative feedback may be received in surveys. It is not a regular practice to investigate minor claims received from this platform. A supervisor may use this instance as an informal coaching tool, but it will not be used for punitive or disciplinary measures.

Criminal complaint submitted via post-contact surveys:

In rare instances where a complaint or information submitted via the survey is criminal in nature, [agency] may conduct an internal investigation in compliance with department policy.

Approved CFS types:

[Specify types of incidents that will or will not receive a survey].

Retention of data:

All data is retained in accordance with state and federal laws.

Email us with any questions, comments, or concerns at [email protected].

 

Last modified - 14 April 2026