The Chicago Police Department (CPD) and members of the Community Policing Advisory Panel (Panel) today announced opportunities for residents of Chicago to engage and share ideas on the future of CPD’s community policing efforts to build trust between the Department and residents they serve. The Panel will be hosting three Town Hall listening sessions and today launched a new online portal in order to receive the direct input from residents as the Department continues to renew its focus on community policing.

"Strengthening community policing is essential for rebuilding bonds of trust and a cornerstone of our public safety strategy," said Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp. "I want to encourage residents across Chicago to share their input and engage with The Community Policing Advisory Panel as we continue to elevate accountability, transparency and high professional standards at the Chicago Police Department."

The Panel is chaired by CPD Chief of Patrol Fred Waller and consists of national experts in the field, members of CPD Command Staff and Chicago community leaders. This strategic planning group was appointed in the fall to provide a comprehensive and thoughtful report proposing ways the Department can engage and collaborate with communities to fight crime and restore trust by the end of the first quarter of 2017.

"CPD is committed to a community policing philosophy that reflects the unique needs of each of our neighborhoods and this public input opportunity will help to shape the recommendations that come out of the panel," said Panel Chair and CPD Chief of Patrol Fred Waller. "Those recommendations, based upon input from Chicagoans, experts in the field and CPD officers, will help us to make meaningful partnerships with the community that will also help us win the crime fight."

Through the work of Community Policing Advisory Panel, the Police Department is engaging communities across the city in joint strategies to fight crime that include improving trust between police and the communities they serve. Comments collected through the Town Hall session and online portal will be used by the Panel to inform recommendations for the Police Department to strengthen community policing efforts and rebuild trust with the residents they serve.

"I believe that this opportunity for public input is a real opportunity for Chicagoans to help shape the direction of community policing in our city," said CPAP panelist and community member Jim Lew. "By having community input early in the process, CPAP will be positioned to make recommendations that can hopefully build bridges and make our neighborhoods safer."

Reinvigorating community policing is a top priority for CPD in 2017. Through the work of the Panel, CPD is ensuring that the philosophy of community policing is a foundation of the Department’s crime fighting efforts. Since its launch, the Panel has held three panel meetings, including presentations from diverse stakeholders ranging from CAPS members, CPD officers, community members, civic leaders, a faith leader, academic researchers, advocates, high-ranking law enforcement officials from an outside Police Department, and CPS students. Additionally, the Panel has conducted focus groups with community members, Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) volunteers, CAPS civilian staff, and CPD officers at multiple levels. Through the online portal and in-person Town Halls, the Panel seeks to continue to gain valuable community input officers regarding how CPD can build a community policing model that keeps the city safe and rebuilds trust with residents.

“The Advisory Committee has had several in-depth meetings,” said Panel member and Yale University Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law Tracey L. Meares. “I am optimistic that we will be able to develop principles that reflect a deep commitment to the importance of community engagement in setting out goals for policing in Chicago.”

To ensure its recommendations are informed by a wide-range of diverse voices, the Panel also intends to hold 3 open community meetings, one on each of the City’s North, South and West sides, where the public may offer feedback and directly interact with Panel members. The following are the dates and locations of the three Community Policing Advisory Panel Town Hall Meetings.

This is the latest effort of the Police Department to be transparent in reform efforts and engage residents around public safety and police accountability. Last week, Police Superintendent Johnson released the Department’s Next Steps for Reform, emphasizing a commitment to strengthen community policing, officer training, manpower, supervision, and public accountability. Using a transparent framework for reform as a guide, CPD will engage in an implementation process to continue to support officers in maintaining the highest professional standards while they fight against gun violence.

Upon the conclusion of the comment period, the Panel will review all comments received and incorporate them as appropriate into its development of a new community policing strategy for CPD. Residents are asked to share their comments on community policing at www.chicagopolice.org.

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