NCJ Number
153273
Date Published
1995
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video presents a lecture by Wesley Skogan regarding the features and effectiveness of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS).
Abstract
CAPS is a community policing effort that encompasses the entire department. The Patrol Division is divided into two components: beat teams and rapid response patrol. Each of the beat teams is assigned a geographic area that coincides approximately with areas covered by neighborhood organizations and political jurisdictions. Each team of 10 officers is responsible for public order in its beat area. Sector sergeants manage a number of beat teams. The rapid response patrol answers calls deemed to require a rapid response. The tasks of the beat teams and the rapid response patrol are clearly delineated. The police responsible for a given area work with community organizations and citizens to identify and address neighborhood problems. The District Advisory Committee, which is composed of both police and citizens, meets monthly to discuss what is happening in the district and what action might be taken to address various problems identified. An assessment of the effectiveness of CAPS used police crime figures, a victimization survey, and citizen perceptions of crime problems. The assessment showed that CAPS has been effective in both reducing crime and increasing citizens' sense of security. Skogan also discusses how CAPS has avoided some of the typical barriers to effective community policing, such as lack of interagency coordination among police and non-police municipal agencies, and rejection of the program by the rank-and-file. Questions from the audience follow the lecture.