The Chula Vista Police Department was recently ranked the No. 1 police station in the United States for policing services, according to an annual international survey.
Between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6, 2011, 4,755 people visited 1,044 police stations in 20 countries, including 21 in the United States, to assess the quality of services provided.
The survey was conducted by the Vera Institute of Justice in New York — a founding member of Altus Global Alliance which works to improve public safety and justice.
Chula Vista Police Lt. Phil Collum said the award is an honor.
“This is an institute that studies law enforcement all over the globe,” he said. “It’s also a nice feather in the cap of the city.”
During “police stations visitors week,” community volunteers assessed the quality of services at departments to identify best practices used by police to strengthen accountability.
Volunteers rate the departments in five areas including community orientation, physical condition of the stations, equal treatment of the public, transparency and accountability, and detention conditions.
Chula Vista’s police department was rated “more than adequate” in every category, with a total rating of 97.75.
Chula Vista has participated in the survey since 2009 and received an excellent rating in 2010.
