More than 10,000 employees of the Texas Department of Public Safety participated in a survey, and the results were overwhelmingly positive for the state’s law enforcement agency. An executive summary released this week revealed the encouraging findings.
The Institute for Organizational Excellence at the University of Texas at Austin conducted a survey among 10,228 DPS employees. Out of the total, only 6,247 surveys were completed, which accounts for 62%.
According to the survey, the state law enforcement agency boasts a team of peace officers and support staff that hold a favorable view of their workplace. The survey categorized questions into 12 different sections, all of which were related to the workplace.
In the agency’s recent survey, the highest categories were workgroup, strategic, and supervision. Of these, workgroup showed the most significant improvements compared to the previous survey. On the other hand, the lowest three categories were internal communication, pay, and benefits. Unfortunately, the last two categories showed a decline. Shockingly, only 22% of the participants agreed that their pay kept up with the cost of living, and merely 28% believed their salaries were competitive.
On the other hand, a significant number of around 26% of the participants expressed their doubts about the utilization of the survey outcome. Additionally, only half of the respondents had faith that their answers would remain anonymous.
‘Extreme imbalance’ of white employees a ’cause for concern’
According to the report, having a diverse workforce is essential to ensure that a wide range of ideas are heard and that the organization is seen as a true representation of the community it serves. Although the percentage of diversity may vary from one organization to another, it is important to note that significant imbalances in diversity can be a cause for concern.
According to the survey, 75.1% of employees at DPS were white, while 11.4% were black, 3% were Asian, and 2.5% were Native American or Pacific Islander. Some respondents either preferred not to answer or opted to self-describe.
When asked if they identified as “Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or of Spanish origin,” a majority of employees, 58%, responded with a negative answer.
The employee age range follows a curved distribution, with the highest number of employees falling between the ages of 40-49. A significant percentage of the survey respondents, accounting for 21%, mentioned that they would become eligible for retirement before the end of 2026.