Each
of the City’s 25 police districts is divided into beats—small
geographic areas in which the Chicago Police Department, City agencies,
and citizens work together to fight crime.
A
team of police officers is assigned to each beat for at least one year.
This allows residents to get to know their beat officers and the officers
to get to know both the residents and the neighborhood. Beat officers
patrol the neighborhood, responding to police emergencies on the beat
and working with neighbors to solve crime problems in the area.
Beat
officers are supported by other teams of police officers in the district.
These officers respond to emergency calls for service and focus on specific
problems such as gangs and drugs.
Through
CAPS, residents become partners with the police and work with beat officers
to identify and solve crime problems in their neighborhoods.
Other
City agencies take care of those conditions that can lead to crime in
a community, such as graffiti, abandoned buildings and cars, and broken
alley and street lights.
Recently,
the Block Captains’ Program was revived by a number of concerned
neighbors. This group assures that information about problems is disseminated
on a timely basis and that neighbors are always aware of any criminal
activity in Old Town and the surrounding areas.