NCJ Number
142898
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 41 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1993) Pages: 63-66
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
In response to community distrust and animosity toward police and deepening community-wide crime patterns, the city of Monrovia (California) developed its Community Activist Policing (CAP) strategy to draw upon every municipal and community resource to solve these problems.
Abstract
The CAP task force is chaired by a police officer; some other members include the police chief, two police captains, detective lieutenant, special enforcement team sergeant, crime prevention officer, community development director, community services director, and fire chief. The chairman is empowered to organize neighborhood crime prevention groups, identify poorly maintained properties that are the center of criminal activity, document poorly maintained property, encourage landlords in rehabilitation and management of their properties, enforce all applicable laws to resolve problems, determine if special enforcement operations are necessary, maintain detailed minutes of meetings, and coordinate follow- up. Some of the programs sponsored by CAP include block parties, police operations, a bicycle patrol program, search warrant notification, landlord counseling, the cul-de-sac program, relocation of tenants, removal of graffiti, and summer recreation programs for children. CAP embodies a philosophy of policing and a set of techniques that help bridge nontraditional department lines and build good management, a caring outlook toward community problems, and a commitment to help solve them.