One in 10 families across Northern Ireland is today being asked to say what they think of policing in Northern Ireland.
The Policing Board is conducting the research, the largest survey of its kind.
Eleven 'core' questions are being asked together with specific questions about individual District Policing Partnership's set up recently across Northern Ireland to give the community an input into policing.
Policing Board chairman, Professor Desmond Rea, said the public consultation was not "just a paper exercise" and would have impact.
"It has real meaning and will lead to genuine community benefit, as the policing priorities identified by people in each of the 26 districts will form the basis for discussion between the DPPs and their local PSNI Commanders in the production of the 2004/2005 local Policing Plans," he said.
A key function of each of the DPPs was that every two years they should undertake a community survey throughout their council area to identify the views of the public concerning the policing of the district, he said.
The public consultation had a dual role as his board had a statutory responsibility to monitor police performance across Northern Ireland as a means to ensure that the PSNI was effective and efficient.
PA