Aggressive Crime-Fighting Strategies and New Technology Highlighted During City Council Budget Hearing

Aggressive crime-fighting strategies and the innovative use of new technology has helped Chicago keep ahead of other cities in the fight against crime, Chicago Police Supt. Philip J. Cline told a City Council budget committee on Friday.

Unlike the national trend that shows violent crime increased by 2.5 percent in 2005, Chicago saw a 2.4 percent decrease in crime, according to recent FBI statistics.

"Chicago has avoided the rise in crime that is confronting many cities," Cline said. "Earlier this week, U.S. Atty. Alberto Gonzales addressed the International Association of Police Chiefs at an annual crime conference in Boston, during which he cited Chicago as a model for best practices for other cities."

Cline attributed Chicago's success to several factors, including crime-fighting strategies that move resources to where crime is likely to occur, the innovative use of technology and building community relationships through CAPS.

Crime-Fighting Strategies
Over the past three years, Chicago has slashed the number of homicides by 26 percent, closing out 2005 with 448 murders, the lowest since 1965. Several violence reduction initiatives are credited for the turnaround.

Special units and teams were established to allow officers to address specific issues or to be deployed to crime hot spots as needed. These include Midnight Gang Teams, Area Gun Teams and the Targeted Response Unit. Additional officers were also put on the street through Operation Closed Market, which requires officers who work desk jobs to work outside one day a week.

Also helping to reduce violence, are the department's ongoing Street Corner Conspiracy Investigations, used to dismantle drug operations from the top down. The newest phase of this targeted approach is Operation Follow the Money. Under the initiative, police target the narcotics dealers and their illicit profits, going after any money or property that was illegally gained.

New Technology
Surveillance technology works hand-in-hand with narcotics enforcement. More than 225 police cameras are wirelessly linked to all 25 police districts and the 911 Center, providing a surveillance network that integrates public safety and homeland security under one system.

The Department also developed an award-winning electronic recording interrogation system to videotape homicide interrogations, offering an added safety and integrity benefit for witnesses, officers and suspects in police custody.

The department's crime database, Citizen Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting system (CLEAR), continues to evolve into an integrated method for accessing information. CLEAR has transformed the way law enforcement does business, making it easier for officers to check criminal backgrounds and mug shots. Information that once took days or hours to retrieve is now available in seconds.

Some patrol officers are using the CLEAR system on their laptops in their squad cars. Last month, through the pilot program Info Cop, a select group of officers have been accessing the information from Blackberrys and plans are to provide the handheld devices to even more officers. With the pilot program, Chicago became the first police department in Illinois to use Blackberry technology to retrieve arrest data and mugshots.

New high-tech concept vehicles in the Harrison (111h) District and other high cnme areas are capable of scanning license plates of up to 3,600 parked or moving vehicles an hour. They are equipped with night vision cameras and can access state and federal databases through the CLEAR system.

Targeted Traffic Team officers will also be deployed throughout the city to improve traffic enforcement. These officers will be armed with the latest technology known as Lidar Guns. These handheld devices point laser beams at vehicles to determine their speeds.

Building Community Relationships
The CAPS strategy and philosophy continues to be a national and international model for community policing. Earlier this year, the City of London embraced Chicago's model and has implemented the concept throughout their police districts. The Chicago Police Department remains committed to the philosophy and has extended its Youth Forum Training as a way to get younger people involved in CAPS.

In May, the department renewed its pledge against racial profiling and bolstered efforts with new community awareness campaigns and public service announcements. The department also announced it would install cameras in 30 squad cars under a pilot program geared toward preventing discriminatory policing.

Minority recruitment has also been a top priority. Of the more than 13,000 applicants who signed up to take the police entrance exams this year, nearly 60 percent were minorities.