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UNH student survey finds strong confidence in Durham Police but flags e-scooter and scam concerns
Summary
A UNH Survey Center study presented to the Durham Town Council found high overall satisfaction with local police (64% 'excellent'; 97% said officers treated them with respect and were responsive) and singled out e-scooter misuse, bike-lane compliance and telephone/internet scams as key resident concerns.
A UNH Survey Center team presented results of the 2026 Durham Police Department community survey to the Town Council on May 4, showing strong overall public confidence in police performance alongside specific safety concerns to guide department priorities.
Dr. Andy Smith, director of the UNH Survey Center, told the council the survey has been conducted periodically since 2000 and that this year’s results show sustained public approval. The team reported that 64% of respondents rated the police department’s performance as "excellent," and 97% said they were treated with dignity and that officers were responsive to their needs. Dr. Smith said the largest specific concerns were general traffic problems downtown and the misuse of e-scooters and other e-devices.
UNH students who conducted the survey said it was mailed to all residents and shared through the town’s Friday Updates and social media. The students reported that responses indicate women report feeling less safe than men in general, and that there were numerous N/A answers—suggesting some residents do not frequent downtown areas and therefore left certain items blank. The presentation broke out perceptions of daytime and nighttime safety; students also noted concerns about children’s exposure to drug use and compliance with bike-lane rules.
Deputy Chief Jack Dalton told the council the department is seeing a pattern in telephone and internet scams targeting older residents and is increasing public outreach. On e-scooters, Dalton said the department has begun issuing warnings, pursuing prosecutions in appropriate cases, conducting daily directed patrols and has secured grant funding for scooter enforcement. "That’s one way the survey helps—so the department can focus on the biggest concerns and then later see if it has got results," he said.
Police Chief Rene Kelley added via Zoom that the department uses the survey results to tailor enforcement priorities rather than shelve them, and Capt. John Lavoie said the survey meets CALEA expectations for community feedback.
Councilors and survey staff discussed whether future work should break out results by more demographic categories and how to survey younger residents (age 12–17) to capture concerns among high-school–age youth. Several councilors praised the survey as both a diagnostic and recruitment tool for the department.
Next steps discussed in the meeting included targeted public education on scams and continued enforcement and outreach around scooter use and bike-lane compliance; councilors and staff did not vote on any new ordinances at the May 4 meeting.
