NCJ Number
199105
Journal
On Good Authority Volume: 4 Issue: 8 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 1-4
Date Published
June 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the findings of the evaluation of the seventh year (2000) of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), which has focused on mobilizing communities to become involved in the public safety enterprise.
Abstract
One aspect of CAPS has been beat meetings, which have provided a forum for facilitating information exchange between community residents and police. Evaluators analyzed three aspects of beat meeting quality: whether beat meeting participants reflect the demographic composition of the beat; whether the possible disproportionate representation of homeowners, or other residents with a greater stake in the community, produces a biased perception of beat problems; and whether beat meeting participant priorities address the problems that face the beat. The evaluation found that beat participants held significantly different views of beat problems and priorities than non-participating beat residents. The citywide survey of residents that was conducted annually through most of the 1990's found that the quality of neighborhood police services in terms of demeanor, responsiveness, and performance did receive a higher rating under CAPS. District advisory committees have also been a feature of CAPS. These are committees composed of community members who meet regularly with police to assist commanders in establishing district priorities. Three of the nine committees examined in the evaluation had functioning subcommittees. The others were average or struggling in their performance. Other CAPS components examined in the evaluation were the operation of the CAPS Implementation Office, which provides the overall guiding philosophy for the community mobilization effort; community prosecution in concert with community policing; and the management of program implementation. This evaluation documents the problems and successes of the CAPS effort. It notes that CAPS has led to a restructuring of the Chicago Police Department to facilitate the allocation of resources to priorities derived from interactions with community representatives and a general strategy to mobilize the community to become partners with the police in improving public safety. 1 figure