Building Mutual Respect—Increasing Safety, Decreasing Crime

From The Desk of Alderman Helen Shiller

For the last twelve years, the two Chicago Police Districts that serve the 46th Ward have enjoyed steadily declining crime rates.  It is no coincidence that this decline coincided with the implementation of community policing (CAPS).

I first heard of the concept of community policing in 1982, when a commander in the Austin District on the West Side had independently created a version of community policing. Later, during the mid-1980s, various community groups formed the Chicago Alliance for Neighborhood Safety and, under the leadership of Warren Friedman, organized for several years for the implementation of community policing in this city.

The objective was two-fold:

1. Create a system where the police department would be more responsive to the specific needs of each particular community.

2. Create a process by which the police would have a greater understanding of the community and the community would have greater respect for the difficult and sometimes dangerous job that police officers do on a daily basis.

In 1994, when it became clear that the city administration was listening to a decade of organizing and activism, I lobbied for the first CAPS pilot program here in the 46th Ward. The 46th Ward had community policing six months before other areas in the city. The result since has been exactly what we envisioned—a building of mutual respect and a decrease in crime.

This is not to say everything is perfect. There is always work to be done. Community policing is an effective tool when the community is involved. In order for CAPS to work best, all segments of the community must be active in attending CAPS meetings and expressing their concerns.

It took twelve years of community organizing and activism to get CAPS implemented. In the 12 years since then, we have seen a great reduction in crime. If, however, we are going to continue to see that reduction, and if we are going to continue the process of building mutual respect between the community and the police department, then all community members must remain vigilant and active.

Everybody deserves congratulations for the hard work of the last twelve years—the police department, the individual officers, and the community. Let us not forget what got us here. Continue to keep up the good work.