Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy Essay

Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the natural law and the confederacy that identifies and solves community problems (U. S. Department of Justice, 1994, p. vii). Throughout the years, community policing has become a to a greater extent popular strategy to dish out righteousnessfulness enforcement officials control and deter offence however, some areas across the United States has had problems in the past with communities and virtue enforcement cultivateings together to ensure a secure and safe environment.Although it is an officers duty to maintain order, keep the peace, and solve problems indoors the area he or she is patrolling, it is also requisite for the people of the community to come together to serving observe disgust. Everyone wants to feel safe in his or her locating of dwelling and know that he or she has individuals who will serve and encourage the area. Ergo, when problems occur between law enforcement and communities, the citize ns develop a stigma against law officials and do non want to sponsor solve or prevent criminal acts.On the other side, when law enforcement officials develop a peremptory rapport with the community, the citizens are much likely to come forward to help solve crimes or problems that evolve within the neighborhood. Community policing is a necessary plan to subscribe within a community and mevery neighborhoods have comprehended these programs. The sugar Police Department is one metropolis that knew a community-based program was a necessity to solve criminal problems within the neighborhoods of the city.In 1993, the Chicago Police Department implemented the Chicago substitute(a) Policing outline (CAPS), which is a community-based program that helps solves neighborhood crime problems with the collaboration of community members and law enforcement officials. According to Office of Justice Programs (n. d. ), The program began in five policing zones only expanded to encompass th e entire city of Chicago after a testing phase. Program development taked the collaborative efforts of each districts commanders, senior department executives, and ivilian excogitateners (para. 4). The underlying goal for CAPS is to solve problems within a community instead of reacting to their symptomatic consequences. This program has a five-step bear upon for police officers to follow to ensure that the community and law enforcement agency whole kit together to control crime.For this program to work effectively, one must reveal and prioritize the problem at hand, analyze the situation, organize a plan to handle the problem, implement a strategy, and evaluate the answer (Office of Justice Programs, n. . ). If the outcome is not effective, changes are set in place to correct the misinterpretation and move forward by working together as a police squad to solve prox problems that may arise. Furthermore, the CAPS program has an assortment of tactics, which include officers wh o patrol the neighborhoods, community meetings that involve the residents and law enforcement officials, training programs for both parties, city services, and technology to help identify the criminal hot spots in the area (Chicago Police Department, 2008).This program allows the officers to continue to patrol and handle their chance(a) duties as well as work together with the community and other city officials to fight crime in one of the most ill-famed criminal cities in the United States. The Chicago Police Department industrial plant in teams for this program to be effective. One team will support on the community and preventing crime, whereas the other team will handle the overturn priority issues as well as respond to calls.The program splits the law enforcement officials into teams, which are step officers, rapid response officers, and other city agencies. The worst officers patrol a certain area for at least a year, which allows each officer to know the neighborhood a s well as the residents. This allows the officers and the residents to form a stay put with one another and build corporate trust between both parties, which allows them to work together as a team to monitor, strategize, and solve problems within the community.The rapid response officers assist the beat officers on emergency calls as well as back up the beat officers while they are in their community meetings. Undercover and gang officers help the beat officers on solving crimes and detaining suspects. With the collaboration between the law enforcement teams and the citizens the Chicago secondary Policing Strategy and proven to be a successful branch to fight crime. In addition, the success that has come from the implementation of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy only hows that in the future it will become more successful.This program has helped improve the residents confidence that the police are there to help combat crime, to ensure the community is a safe place to hav e a go at it as well as a reduction in major(ip) crimes. Evaluations of the alternative policing strategy in Chicago show that from 1993 to 2002, the fear of crime went down by 20% among groups most fearful of crime and exploitation (University of Ottawa, n. d. , p. 1).This is only one benefit that has come about from this program, so with the bond between law enforcement and residents of the communities becoming stronger daily, this program has a bright future on helping prevent and deter crime. Although many neighborhoods adopt community-policing programs, not all are successful in controlling crime. Some communities adopt these programs believing that it will evolve into a successful program were police and residents work together however, not all programs are effective.For a program to be successful, each party, such as law enforcement officials and residents must work collaboratively through the entire process, which is to identify, implement, and resolve the issues at hand (C hicago Police Department, 2008). Community-based programs are constantly developing throughout the nation and with communities, adopting programs like the Chicago Alternative Program Strategy, community policing has the potential to be successful in any city or state.