Santa Fe police present Axon My90 feedback tool; committee debates access and selection bias

The Santa Fe Police Department presented its new Axon My90 customer‑feedback tool to the Quality of Life Committee and described early results and access controls. Deputy Chief Ben Valdez said the tool sends automated pre‑arrival messages and post‑contact surveys to people who interact with the department; responses are aggregated and visualized for agency leadership.

Valdez said the tool can send messages to smart devices, offer web‑based surveys in English and Spanish, and attach to the department’s records management system. He said the system excludes certain sensitive contacts—arrests and victims of violent or medical emergencies—from survey distribution, and that respondents who provide contact information may receive follow‑up. Valdez read sample positive comments collected through the system and said the department routes any complaint information to Internal Affairs for investigation.

Councilor Michael Garcia and others asked who will have access. Valdez said executive leadership in the department has access and that the data are subject to the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). City staff and committee members pushed for some public or governing‑body access to aggregated tables. Valdez and Chief Joy (present in discussion) said they were considering publication of aggregated metrics—such as top community concerns—and that any public release would be weighed to avoid using the data in a way that discourages candid internal feedback.

Director Hammond Paul and other staff cautioned about selection bias. Hammond Paul noted that survey recipients are people who have called for service or otherwise interacted with the department and are therefore a subset of the general population; he said the department should clearly note that limitation if staff publish the data. Valdez provided a snapshot figure in the presentation that showed 199 respondents (26% of respondents in the snapshot) listing homelessness as their top concern; Valdez said response totals are increasing as participation grows.

Committee members asked whether the city could run broader community surveys through the tool; Valdez said a community‑wide survey or a social‑media link to a voluntary survey is technically possible and would produce a separate dataset. Council members asked for updated dashboards and for staff to consider restricted public reporting that protects staff development while giving the governing body useful aggregate information.

Ending: The department said it would continue refining which aggregates to share and consult with the public safety committee and city leadership; no formal policy change was made at the meeting.