Chicago Police Department Weblog

Chicago Crime Prevention Information Center (CPIC) Featured as a Model for Emergency Operations Centers Nationwide

On May 30, 2008, an article was published in Government Technology magazine that discussed the importance of Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) as a tool to assist with disaster management, emergency communications and crime prevention.

The Chicago Police Department's Crime Prevention Information Center (CPIC) or "Fusion Center" was featured as an example of the effectiveness of integrated technology and multi-jurisdictional, multi-departmental communications with respect to high-level incidents and daily law enforcement.  The article, written by Blake Harris, provides insight into the importance of technology, communication and security on both a local and national level.

Commander David Sobczyk, Deployment Operations Center, is interviewed in this article and gives detailed information on the mission of CPIC and is value to local law enforcement.  A link to the complete article appears below.  Just click the link to read the entire article.  Fusion Center Article

Portable Data Terminal Update

The Department of Police is now in the process of upgrading all end-of-life MicroSlate Portable Data Terminals (PDTs) throughout the entire enterprise. This is a massive upgrade program involving thousands of devices and funding from a variety of sources.

Today, eight hundred (900) new Panasonic Toughbook PDTs with high-speed broadband wireless access to CLEAR applications as well as Police Computer-Aided Dispatch (PCAD) functionality have been installed in the following units:

014, 011, 005, 015, 025, 004, 010, 006, TRU, 007, 008, 003, 009, SOS, 024, 013, 001 (starting installation in September) and selected additional units. The next units scheduled for replacement are 018, 002, 022, 021, 012, 017, 016, 02, 019, 020, 189, 701, 124, and various additional units.

By the end of September, new PDTs will have been installed in fifteen (15) districts and various specialized units, with the remaining ten (10) districts to be installed over the course of the next several months.

We anticipate that the replacement program will be complete in all districts by the end of this year. In total, 2,400 MicroSlate PDTs will have been replaced when the project is complete. The Panasonic Toughbooks provide:

• Data Warehouse inquiry functions
• Mug shot images
• DIBS (District Intelligence Bulletin) access
• Cease and Desist orders
• PCAD dispatch functionality
• DOC deployment maps

In the near future, many new applications will be accessible on these devices, including a field-based Contact Card application, incident reporting, and electronic mobile citation-writing (initially two hundred and fifty units will be deployed to five districts). This will include in-car printers and driver's license swipe-card readers. This project is now being tested in Traffic, 009, and 010, with almost two hundred moving violations generated electronically in just the first few weeks of testing.

As new PDTs are installed, removed MicroSlates are refurbished when possible and re-distributed to districts still awaiting brand new PDTs. This ensures minimum levels of functionality while the new PDT installations continue.

Please continue to provide feedback on ways we can improve this and other technology initiatives.

$2.2 Million to be Used to Equip Beat Cars with Video Cameras

Mayor Daley recently announced the he will set aside $2.2 million to purchase an additional 280 video cameras to be installed in our squad cars and hopes to find the money to equip the rest of the fleet "as quickly as possible." We currently have 30 cameras being tested in various districts around the City including marked cars patrolling Lake Shore Drive, the Chicago Skyway, the Jefferson Park District and the Pullman District, where Senator James Meeks said he was a victim of racial profiling. This new initiative will provide enough cameras to equip a squad car on every beat .

Each sqaud car is equipped with two cameras that can be activated manually or automatically when emergency lights are turned on. One camera records the back seat while the other faces forward - mounted on the windshield. Officers will carry a microphone the size of a pager which records sounds within a 1,000 foot range of the vehicle. Real-time audio and video is transmitted to the district station.

The video from these cameras have actually been used as evidence in at least 10 cases - some of which prompting guilty pleas. The cameras are said to "keep everyone honest" and provides proof for officers who are accused of misconduct in unwarranted complaints.

Mayoral Press Conference Introduces CLEAR Map Web Site

Announced by the Mayor and Superintendent at a press conference on February 23rd, CLEAR Map, is now available at www.ChicagoPolice.org. The Chicago Police Department developed this web application to provide residents of the City of Chicago with a tool to assist them in problem-solving and combating crime and disorder in their neighborhoods. It is based upon the CLEAR (Citizen Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting) system developed by the Department for use by its police officers.

CLEAR Map provides all of the capabilities of Citizen ICAM plus many more, including integration of Crime Stoppers alerts, and the ability to search by more geographies: Address, Beat, School, Park, Ward, and Community Area. PODs are now shown on these public maps as well.

This web application enables you to search the Chicago Police Department's database of reported crime. You will be able to see maps, graphs, and tables of reported crime. The database contains 90 days of information which you can access in blocks of up to 14 days. Data is refreshed daily. However, the most recent information is back-dated 7 days from the current date.

Chicago PD Launches a Crime Stoppers Component to the CLEAR Path Web Site

CPD has recently launched a Crime Stoppers component to the CLEAR Path web site which is now available at www.ChicagoPolice.org. On the site you can subscribe to receive Crime Stoppers wanted posters for your business or organization that span the geographic boundaries of your police district, police area or the entire city. You can also find a gallery of current wanted posters that you can download and distribute. This Crime Stoppers component is a partnership between CPD and the Cook County Crime Stoppers not-for-profit organization and is designed to promote citizen involvement in solving crimes. Registration is quick and easy and rewards are offered for your tips - even the FOP has teamed up with CPD to offer an additional $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer of fallen officer Jose Vazquez.

Cook County Crime Stoppers brings together citizens, law enforcement agencies, businesses and the media to fight felony-level crime. It encourages people to anonymously report tips on crime and thereby be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. People can call 800-535-STOP  or 311 any time, any day to report their tips. Callers never have to give their name, just their information. Crime Stoppers gets these tips to the proper law enforcement agency for action. Since its launch in 1986, Crime Stoppers has helped federal, state and local law enforcement agencies recover over $23 million in property and illegal narcotics. Crime Stoppers has programs to combat illegal gun possession and use, domestic violence, fraud, illegal drug and gang activity, auto theft, campus violence and felony-level animal abuse, among others.

Automated License Plate Readers

Two vehicles, including the new "Concept Vehicle" that was implemented in cooperation with the Department of Fleet Management, now have Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) that are capable of scanning thousands of license plates per hour and immediately identifying stolen vehicles.

We have recently obtained Secretary of State vehicle registration data, which allows us to identify active warrants and investigative alerts for scanned vehicles. In just several months of use, the ALPRs have scanned 124,276 license plates. This has resulted in 123 recovered vehicles, 26 arrests and numerous guns - including three rifles stolen from the US Federal Government.

Ten (10) additional ALPRs have been ordered for the Special Operations Section (SOS) and Targeted Response Unit (TRU),  in additional to the four additional "Concept Vehicles" soon to be deployed - on per police area.

Source: Information Services Division Technology Update - Summer 2006

Mobile Identification Devices

Working with the Records Division, five Mobile Identification Devices are now available for use in the field. These devices have been fully integrated into the CLEAR System and AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System), and can quickly collect and transmit demographic information, photographs and fingerprints of arrestees for immediate identification. A real-time warrant and investigative alert check is conducted also.

These devices have been deployed by the Public Transportation Section, personnel from various districts and the Licensing Unit during raids of private social clubs.

Source: Information Services Division Technology Update - Summer 2006

New State of the Art Vehicle Added to S.W.A.T. Arsenal

The Bear Cat is the newest advanced technology tool to be deployed by the Chicago Police Department to assist the Special Operations Section SWAT (Stragetic Weapons And Tactics) Team.  The Bear Cat was purchased using Department of Homeland Security funding resources made available to the Deaprtment through the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI).  UASI provides resources for the unique equipment, training, planning, and exercise needs of select high threat urban areas. The Bear Cat will use the call sign of 49R.

• 49 Robert will provide ballistic protection to rescue civilians or officers that are pinned down by gun fire and provide protection to first responders.
• 49 Robert eliminates the need for cover fire to move from one position to another.
• 49 Robert can be used as cover and shielding when no other tactical options are available.
• 49 Robert can be utilized to move into areas during civil unrest providing protection from dangerous thrown objects such as Molotov Cocktails and bricks.
• 49 Robert has interoperable communications capability that allows for multi-jurisdictional / multi-agency communications.

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.

Chicago Police Announce Plans to Implement Live Scan Fingerprint and Palm Print Technology at All Lockups

The Chicago Police Department announced Wednesday it will upgrade its fingerprinting system by installing new Live Scan fingerprint and palm print devices in all lockup facilities.

The new integrated technology will include the ability to digitally scan high-quality palm prints for all arrestees. The digital images will be transmitted to the Chicago Police Department's Automated Fingerprint Identification System or AFIS.

Currently, palm prints are not taken on all arrestees. When they are, the ink-and-roll method that is used often results in poor quality images. The capture and electronic storage of palm prints for all arrestees combined with AFIS matching will set the groundwork for solving more crimes, including burglaries.

"Unknown prints are found at 60 percent of crimes scenes, and 30 to 35 percent of these are palm prints," said Marikay Hegarty, director of the Chicago Police Department's Records Section. "Currently, comparing palm prints is time-consuming and involves labor intensive one-to-one comparisons. But the palm-print matching technology provided by Live Scan changes everything. It will allow for a 'cold search' of the database, thereby providing valuable lead information for detectives."

The Chicago Police Department has approximately 150,000 inked palm print cards dating back to 1963. These inked cards will be evaluated and converted into a digital format and added to the AFIS palm print database.

Paid for through a grant from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the upgrade in technology cost $829,000 and will cover the purchase of 37 fingerprint and palm print scanners. Thirty-three of the devices will be installed in district stations, while four mobile units will be on call for use around the city.

The Chicago Police Department has been testing the new technology since October and rolled out the first unit this week in the Albany Park (17th) District. Additional units will be installed in other districts in the coming months. The new units will replace older live Scan systems that captured only fingerprints.

"Palm prints are as unique to an individual as fingerprints," Hegarty said. "Palmprint scanning and AFIS palm matching will undoubtably solve more crimes and take repeat offenders off the street quicker. thus preventing future crimes."