NCJ Number
177464
Journal
National Institute of Justice Journal Dated: April 1999 Pages: 2-11
Date Published
April 1999
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This overview of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) emphasizes the effects this program has had on both residents and police officers and the key role of municipal service agencies as partners in community policing; the evaluation process is also described.
Abstract
Initiated at the highest levels of civic leadership -- the mayor and the police department -- CAPS was planned for more than a year before it was officially instituted in April 1993 in 5 of the city's 25 police districts. In fall 1994 elements of CAPS began to be introduced in Chicago's other districts. The entire patrol division is involved in CAPS, and it is fully staffed with permanent officers on regular shifts. Extensive training is provided to both officers and supervisors. Program activities are supervised through the regular chain of command and through standard patrol operations. Residents are expected to take an active role in solving neighborhood problems; they are encouraged to meet with police regularly to exchange information and report on actions taken. Community priorities play an important role in setting beat team priorities. Residents receive training in the problem-solving model. Management systems are in place to trigger a rapid response to service requests, and agencies are held accountable by the mayor for the effectiveness of their response. Overall, community policing is the entire city's program, not the police department's program. When the program expanded to encompass the entire city, the evaluation team from Northwestern University's Institute for Policy Research began tracking parallel citywide measures over time. As these data accumulate, crime trends will appear more clearly, as will any changes in citizen perceptions of disorder and neighborhood decay. Meanwhile, other measures point to improving conditions in Chicago's neighborhoods. Most notably, reported crime has been declining at a steady rate. A listing of 5 resources and 1 note