St. Paul Assistant Police Chief Todd Axtell briefs residents of the Payne-Phalen neighborhood on the recent scaling back of police officers in the area. Laura Yuen | MPR News 2013

Next time you have a run in with the St. Paul police, they might ask you to rate your experience on a survey.

The department launched a six question survey Friday, designed to give the department insight into what their officers are doing well, and what could be improved.

Community members can rate officers on things like respectfulness and knowledgeability on a scale of 1 to 5.

Police Chief Todd Axtell said his department already gets feedback from letters and emails, but it's hard to measure. The survey is a way to turn feedback into usable data.

"This is an opportunity for us to really be strategic about what we're learning," he said, "and take a look at trends and patterns we may be seeing in different parts of the city."

At the end of the year, he'll release the survey data, even if it's not flattering to the department.

"We can't be afraid of the data," he said. "Transparency builds trust, and trust has to be the foundation to any good police department."

The survey is available online at www.stpaul.gov/police

It's also available at the department's district offices.