MML November/December 2022 Review Magazine

Breaking Down the Statewide Survey Regarding Harassment and Violence of Local Governments

By Morgan Schwanky

T he Center for Local, State and Urban Policy brief. For the first time, CLOSUP surveyed Michigan’s local government officials and employees on their experiences with harassment, threats, and violence. We want to break down the results from this survey and look at its key findings. We also will explore the implications of the survey’s findings and what they mean for Michigan communities. The facts and statistics discussed in this article were found in the report created through the analysis of the surveys turned in from a variety of local government staff. For a copy of the brief “Statewide survey finds a majority of Michigan local governments experiencing harassment or other abuse,” go to closup.umich.edu. The survey found that 47 percent of the state’s top officials have personally experienced harassment over the last few years as part of their role in local government. (CLOSUP) at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy recently published its latest policy

This 47 percent included both elected and appointed local officials from counties, cities, townships, and villages throughout the state. The harassment includes online and in-person harassment in the form of disrespectful or hostile comments, the use of slurs and/or other graphic language, shouting, and rude or aggressive gestures. The survey also provided some insight as to how likely an official would be to report incidents depending on a variety of variables. It was determined that harassment is reported more commonly in areas that have more than 5,000 residents. In these areas, two-thirds of officials’ report having these issues. But communities with 5,001-10,000 residents have the highest reporting percentage. These percentages decline in both directions of population size, with a less severe decline as the population rises. Four in ten officials in rural areas report problems with harassment, and the percentage rises to 49 percent in mostly rural areas. It steadily rises to 66 percent in mostly urban, and up to 70 percent in urban areas.

16 THE REVIEW

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022