CPD, public safety advocates focus on strong communities

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) and community public safety advocates agree that working to promote and develop a strong sense of community tops their list of priorities for maintaining the safety of Chicago residents into the new year.

Early in 2021, Chicago residents were still reeling in the wake of the unprecedented events from the year before. At a meeting last February, Deborah Gershbein, board president of the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents (SOAR) said, “We have certainly faced some huge challenges this year—the pandemic, the civil unrest, the looting of our neighborhood twice.”

SOAR leaders and Chicago aldermen representing Streeterville identified public safety and recovery among their priorities for the remainder of 2021. Moving ahead, SOAR will continue to advocate for quality-of-life issues on behalf of Streeterville residents and work with the city of Chicago on its recovery program, Gershbein said at the time.

Now with 2021 winding down, neighborhoods bouncing back and residents hoping the worst effects of last year’s events are behind them, law enforcement and community leaders are placing a renewed focus on community building. Officials believe the efforts will promote public safety both in the near term and throughout 2022. The police alone cannot solve the city’s crime problems. It takes a combined effort of police, community, and City government working together, according to the CPD website.

In the near-term, the CPD is encouraging residents to follow some common sense, community-based safety measures:

• Try to shop with friends or relatives. Not only is there safety in numbers, but shopping in a group will give you a chance to catch up and renew friendships.
• When out, leave some lights on at home. You may also want to let a neighbor know that you will be out of the house.
• If you plan to be away for a longer period to visit friends or family, make sure to tell a neighbor or a friend who can help keep an eye on your house.

Craig Kaiser, founder of the community group, Streeterville Neighborhood Advocates (SNA), agrees. His group encourages residents to be educated about the reality of crime and how to prevent it.

“We must be genuinely engaged and work as a community and we must ensure that the environment around us is safe and designed to deter crime,” he said.

This approach, advocated by law enforcement officials and community leaders, is centered on problem solving at the neighborhood level. It brings the police, the community and other agencies together to proactively identify and solve neighborhood crime problems rather than react after the fact. It’s not a new idea, but one that’s easily sidelined during times of turmoil when sudden events demand an immediate reaction, rather than a proactive, long-term strategy.

A partnership between police, community leaders and residents requires a significant investment of time, energy and resources on all sides. Most believe the payoff is worth the expense.

While cooperative public safety measures, in principle, have wide support among law enforcement agencies and community groups, specific deployment processes and procedures need to be periodically revisited and refined. The SNA anticipates they may adopt a new model in the spring of 2022.

The city’s Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy, or CAPS, bridges communication between residents and local law enforcement through community meetings held throughout the year. Residents interested in attending CAPS beat meetings should contact their local alderman for details, and information about policing efforts in each district is available online at home.chicagopolice.org/about/police-districts.