Tacoma residents say they are feeling safer these days. In a new citywide community survey, people reported higher satisfaction with police patrols and emergency response, while fewer households said they had been victims of crime. The biennial poll shows double-digit gains across several public safety measures and a drop in the household victimization rate from roughly one in three households in 2024 to about one in five in 2026. The findings land as the Tacoma Police Department ramps up outreach and community programs that officials say are meant to keep the numbers moving in the same direction. The department also used a social post this week to trumpet the results and invite residents into training and engagement programs.
In a July 14 post titled "The Results Are In!", the Tacoma Police Department boiled down the survey highlights and urged residents to apply for the Community Police Academy, enroll in the Safe Place program, and support the Tacoma Police Explorers. The post linked to the city's survey documents and nudged people to "get to know officers before they need them." The full department post is embedded below.
What the survey found
According to the City of Tacoma 2026 trends analysis, satisfaction with police patrol climbed eight percentage points, ratings for emergency response times improved by seven points, and overall satisfaction with police services rose seven points. Crime prevention and police investigations each notched five-point gains. The report also found that the share of households reporting any victimization fell from 35% in 2024 to 22% in 2026, a change city staff describe as significant.
Local reaction and context
Local outlets have flagged how broad the improvements are and noted that the results are likely to shape upcoming budget and planning talks. Weekly Volcano reported that resident satisfaction improved across roughly 85% of measured areas, with fire and emergency medical services drawing the highest scores. Community leaders told reporters the data gives officials permission to double down on what appears to be working while still tackling persistent pressure points such as affordability and street conditions.
Police outreach and next steps
Tacoma Police are trying to turn the survey momentum into more face time with residents. The department is taking applications for its next Community Police Academy and is promoting its Safe Place and Explorer programs as ways to build relationships that do not start with a 911 call. The Tacoma Police Department community programs page lists application deadlines, the fall academy calendar, and details on the Safe Place and Explorer offerings. Officers say getting residents into classrooms and community settings helps head off crises and opens informal lines of communication.
Takeaways
The latest scores mark a sharp shift from two years ago, when policing landed near the bottom of the city's service ratings. Civic leaders say they will be watching whether that turnaround holds as budgets and programs are locked in. For a deeper dive into the survey numbers and the department's own recap, see the Tacoma Police Department Facebook post.
