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How We Rate Agencies

Our officer survey covers 5 agency categories plus 5 command staff rank tiers. Here's what we measure.

Grading Scale

Excellent (4.25 - 5.0)

Top-tier agency. Officers report high satisfaction across categories.

Good (3.50 - 4.24)

Above average. Strong in most areas with minor concerns.

Average (2.75 - 3.49)

Mixed reviews. Some areas need improvement.

Below Average (2.00 - 2.74)

Significant concerns reported. Proceed with caution.

Failing (Below 2.0)

Critical issues reported. Major red flags from officers.

Command Staff Rank Tiers 50% of Grade

Officers rate each rank tier they interact with. Skip any rank that doesn't apply.

Sergeants 10% each

Evaluates direct road supervisors — the rank that most impacts daily patrol life.

Questions in this category:

Do sergeants back up their officers on the street?
Are sergeant promotions based on merit at this agency?
Are sergeants knowledgeable enough in case law to protect officers?
Are sergeants tactically competent enough to lead critical incidents?
Do sergeants advocate for their squads or just enforce admin demands?
Are sergeants approachable or do they lead through fear?
Do sergeants build or destroy squad morale?
Are sergeants being controlled or pressured by their own supervisors?

Lieutenants 10% each

Evaluates mid-level supervisors who bridge the gap between road officers and upper command.

Questions in this category:

Do lieutenants back their officers or protect command staff?
Are lieutenant promotions based on merit at this agency?
Are lieutenants knowledgeable enough in case law to challenge bad policy?
Are lieutenants still connected to the realities of the road?
Do lieutenants shield their shifts from unnecessary admin burdens?
Do lieutenants communicate honestly or filter information to protect admin?
Do lieutenants build or destroy unit morale?
Are lieutenants being controlled or pressured by upper command?

Commanders 10% each

Evaluates division-level leadership responsible for policy implementation and resource allocation.

Questions in this category:

Do commanders prioritize officer safety over political pressure?
Are commander promotions based on competence at this agency?
Do commanders understand the real-world impact of their policies?
Do commanders take responsibility for failures or blame subordinates?
Are commanders receptive to feedback from the officers they oversee?
Are commanders focused on doing the job or chasing their next promotion?
Do commanders positively or negatively impact department morale?

Assistant Chiefs 10% each

Evaluates executive-level leaders who advise the chief and oversee major divisions.

Questions in this category:

Do assistant chiefs protect subordinates or sacrifice them?
Are assistant chief promotions based on competence at this agency?
Do assistant chiefs push back on bad decisions or rubber-stamp everything?
Do assistant chiefs understand how their decisions affect officers on the ground?
Are assistant chiefs accessible to lower ranks?
Do assistant chiefs take ownership of problems or deflect blame?
Do assistant chiefs build or erode department morale?

Chief 10% each

Evaluates the agency's top executive — the person ultimately responsible for department culture, direction, and morale.

Questions in this category:

Does the chief make decisions based on what's right or political pressure?
Does the chief sacrifice officers to protect their own career?
Does the chief lead independently or are they being controlled — whether by politicians, city management, or even their own command staff?
Does the chief fight for department funding, equipment, and officer pay?
Is the chief transparent about department direction and decisions?
Does the chief hold themselves to the same standards imposed on officers?
Does the chief's leadership improve or destroy department morale?

Agency Categories 50% of Grade

Every officer answers these questions about the agency as a whole.

Officer Safety 15%

Does the department prioritize officer safety?

Questions in this category:

Do you trust the competency of officers who respond as your backup?
Has staffing ever been so thin you felt unsafe taking a call?
Are you pressured to handle calls alone that should be two-officer calls?
When an officer is injured on duty, does the department support them?
Has a supervisor's bad decision ever put you or another officer in danger?
If you called for emergency backup at 3am, how confident are you help is coming fast?

Competency 12%

Are officers and supervisors competent at their jobs?

Questions in this category:

Is the FTO program competent, high-quality, and effective at producing prepared officers?
Are FTOs producing competent officers, or just passing them through?
Is the FTO Sergeant leading the program competent and taking it in a positive direction?
Is your agency's defensive tactics training modern and progressive, or just a checkbox exercise?
Does your firearms training prepare you for realistic scenarios, or is it just qualification drills?

Fairness & Accountability 10%

Are discipline and promotions fair and consistent?

Questions in this category:

Are promotions based on merit, or connections and politics?
Do incompetent officers get promoted while competent ones get passed over?
Is discipline applied consistently regardless of rank or connections?
When command makes mistakes, are there consequences, or does accountability only flow downhill?
Are the people selecting and promoting officers competent at identifying good candidates?

Workload, Staffing & Job Role 7%

Is the workload manageable or overwhelming?

Questions in this category:

How often are you dispatched to calls with no law enforcement purpose?
Are you expected to be mental health counselor, homeless outreach, and animal control in addition to police officer?
Has responding to non-police calls ever delayed your response to a real emergency?
Is overtime truly voluntary or are you forced into it?
Does command understand what patrol actually deals with day-to-day?

Morale & Retention 6%

Is morale high? Do officers stay or leave?

Questions in this category:

Would you recommend this agency to someone entering law enforcement?
Knowing what you know now, would you have taken this job?
If you could transfer laterally tomorrow with no penalty, would you?
In three years, do you see yourself still working here?
If you already left, would anything bring you back — and would you recommend others leave too?