CPD invites residents to put on their thinking ‘CAPS’

A partnership between the police and community

A partnership between police and community members is the foundation of Chicago’s approach to community policing, dubbed CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy) by the CPD.

While community policing has become a popular crime-fighting strategy across the country, CAPS has adapted the model to address the unique needs of Chicago’s neighborhoods and public safety goals while preserving strategies that have been successful in other cities.

CAPS has been recognized as one of the most ambitious community policing initiatives in the U.S. and has been cited as a model by national experts including officials at the U.S. Department of Justice and academic authorities on community policing, according to the CPD.

What is 'CAPS?'

CAPS is designed to make residents active partners in preventing crime while enhancing the positive aspects of shared communities across all of Chicago’s neighborhoods. The police/people partnership depends on the idea that the CPD, residents and other neighborhood stakeholders must work together to address the conditions that can lead to crime.

Beat community meetings are a key part of the CAPS strategy of partnerships and problem solving, according to the CPD. Meetings, held in all of Chicago’s 279 police beats, provide a regular opportunity for police officers, residents, and other community stakeholders to exchange information, identify and prioritize problems and begin developing solutions.

Ready to become a part of the solution? To learn more about CAPS activity in your area, sign up for your ward’s e-newsletter or call the city’s “311” information line. Searching the CPD website can be a challenge and you’re likely to run into a few dead links and outdated web pages.

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