Missouri Highway Patrol Receives 93.9% Approval Rating

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, is pleased to announce the results of the 2020 Public Opinion Survey. According to the recent public opinion survey the Missouri State Highway Patrol is fulfilling its mission of service and protection.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is fulfilling its mission of service and protection

Although the response rate increased with the use of a web-based survey compared to the mail-in survey, limitations must be considered when interpreting such results. Because the web link was available to all people with access to a computer, there was no control over respondents, thus producing a non-random sample.

A total of 2,476 people responded to the survey from August 1 to 31, 2020. It is important to note the survey relied entirely on voluntary responses, and included 1,944 Missouri residents, 64 nonresidents, and 468 respondents who did not disclose this information.

The responses were analyzed and produced the following findings:

* 93.9% of the respondents gave the Patrol a good or excellent overall rating

* 94.3% indicated appearance, attitude, and demeanor good or excellent

* 94.1% of the respondents reported the overall competence of MSHP employees to be good or excellent

* 51.3% of the respondents reported having had direct contact with the Patrol

* 89.8% of those respondents who had direct contact with the Patrol reported a good or excellent experience

* 80.1% of respondents indicated enforcing criminal law was the most important duty performed by the MSHP. Detecting/deterring the flow of illegal drugs (73.3%) and traffic crash investigation (70.7%) followed as being very important duties of the MSHP

* 73.5% of respondents indicated MSHP officers are doing an effective to very effective job at deterring alcohol-related boating crashes

* 88.3% approve of DWI saturation patrols and 84.6% approve of sobriety checkpoints being used to detect and remove intoxicated drivers from Missouri roadways.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story