Community Policing, Chicago Style

By Wesley G. Skogan , Susan M. Hartnett

In describing successes and limitations of the CP program in Chicago and experimental districts where the CP program was first employed, the authors trace the CP program from its inception to its application in the field and examine the roots of CP and the implementation of CP in the context of political, racial, and fiscal realities. The first chapter of the book defines CP and describes some of the obstacles to making it work in practice. The second chapter discusses the conditions leading to the adoption of CP in Chicago, while the third chapter details the planning process and the eventual deployment of police officers to carry out the CP program. The fourth chapter discusses Chicago's CP program, known as CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy). Other chapters explore the public's vital role in CP, linkages between the police and other city agencies, the impact of CP on the quality of life, and lessons learned from Chicago's experience. The authors conclude the CP program has resulted in substantial benefits for most Chicago residents.

New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. 268p.