Graffiti, abandoned vehicles, abandoned buildings, malfunctioning street lights, and other signs of neighborhood disorder can all affect the level of crime in a community. Recognizing this fact the Mayor has made CAPS a priority for all City agencies not just the Police Department.
Officers in all police districts have access to the City’s CHI311 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system giving them the ability to report City services that impact crime and public safety. Once entered, service requests are automatically routed to the appropriate City department for investigation and action. The City Service Request process allows police officers to address relatively minor problems and conditions before they grow into more serious crime problems.
Community members are key to the success of this aspect of community policing. By identifying the signs of neighborhood disorder and reporting them at your beat meeting, officers will be able to enter the requests into the system and alert the beat officers to other, more potentially criminal behavior taking place at that location. For routine requests not related to crime or public safety, you may call 311 or your local alderman’s office, or simply enter the information into the 311 system using the internet.
In addition to City agencies, other service providers from other levels of government and the private and non-profit sectors are also being encouraged to get involved in solving neighborhood crime problems under CAPS.
You can also report service needs on-line on the City of Chicago’s website.