City of Downey, CA
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The City continues to work to ensure funding and resources for our first responders, parks, road maintenance, and youth and senior programs to maintain the highest quality of life in the area. As part of this year’s budget process, we want to make sure we reach every corner of the community to hear what is important to YOU! This is especially important to us as we begin planning for next year. Our first area of focus is Public Safety.
Did you know Downey is one of the few cities in the region to be a full-service City? We are one of the few in the area to have our own police and fire departments.
Did you know, over 70% of calls to the Downey Fire Department are related to medical emergencies. When seconds in an emergency count, the City must be able to maintain and improve response times and ensure our City can recruit and retain well-qualified firefighters and paramedics with lifesaving equipment to respond to emergencies and save lives.
The Police Department is working hard to continue to keep our community safe, but similar to other communities in the region, last year saw a 5-year high in reported property crimes in our City. The City seeks to maintain 911 emergency response times and police patrols in neighborhoods and business areas to keep residents and their properties safe.
Downey Discussion Outreach and Survey
Over the last seven months, the City engaged over 1,200 residents through community surveys, several community presentations, and interactive community engagement efforts throughout the City, known as the Downey Discussion. More specifically, in May, a total of 23,471 surveys were mailed to households in the City of Downey to gather input about city services and future spending priorities. As of July 16, 2024, over 900 surveys were received ( by mail and online).
Based on the survey responses, residents identified their top four community priorities as follows:
- Preventing crimes including theft and burglaries
- Maintaining 911 emergency and medical response times
- Helping ensure children have safe places to play
- Maintaining medical emergency ambulance services
The majority of comments mentioned in the surveys focused on enhancing and maintaining public safety services, as well as repairing City streets.
Independent Research Firm - Community Survey
In a community survey conducted by an independent research firm last month, as much as 71% of respondents felt there was a need for additional funding for City services. Furthermore, 62% of respondents said they would support a ¼ cent locally controlled sales tax measure (50 +1% threshold needed for passage) to fund Downey City services such as public safety, public works, and quality of life services.
Additional links:
The Downey Discussion
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers