NCJ Number
95907
Date Published
1984
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This case study describes the special proactive police unit created for Chicago's Cabrini-Green public housing project in 1981 and discusses reasons why it made the community a safer place to live.
Abstract
The Cabrini-Green housing complex has long been the subject of media attention and special police programs. A 'Walk and Talk' project was instituted in 1970 to improve community relations, an objective in line with the Kerner Commission's report on civil disorders which criticized aggressive patrol tactics. In 1981, a spurt of criminal activity once again drew public attention to Cabrini, and the mayor announced her decision to take up a residence there in March. Several days before the move, a new commander was assigned to the Cabrini police unit, and the mayor created a new position called the Director for Health and Public Safety for the city's housing projects. Programs serving Carbini improved, and in April the Mayor announced that off-duty police officers would be hired to patrol at Cabrini, practically doubling police manpower in the community. A high visibility, aggressive posture was selected that used foot patrols, three-wheeled vehicles, and normal squad cars. Between May 1981 and January 1982, a full enforcement policy that left little to police discretion resulted in a substantial rise in arrests and a dramatic drop in serious crime. The commitment of the mayor and supportive service agencies, the support of residents, cooperation of public housing officials, and the quality of the police personnel working at Cabrini were all factors contributing to the turnaround. Being a member of the special patrol was a source of pride. Officers had to get their commanding officer's approval before moonlighting and had to complete activity forms each day. The media generally has shown little negative reaction to the aggressive police posture, and data collected by the police indicate that citizen discontent is not a problem. The Cabrini experience suggests that maintenance of public order, rather than combating professional crime, is the key to a community's well-being. Included are 39 footnotes.