Report on BLOCK CLUB LEADERS Meeting
There was a block club leader meeting will the Superintendent of Police Weis, December 4, 2010 at Roseland Community Hospital After a (Continental) breakfast in the Community Room, The Superintendent of Police and 5th District Commander Ball met with block club leaders and discussed policing strategies aimed at encouraging community members and police to work together to reduce crime in the community.
Discussion of 5th district priorities:
A reassignment of police personnel throughout the city resulted in a number of 5th District CAPS (Community Alternative Policing Strategy) officers being placed elsewhere. Many residents are worried, upset and angry that Sgt. Armstrong and Cooney have been reassigned.
(Note: East & West Block Club sent a letter of thanks and appreciation for their valuable services to the Superintendent). Commander Ball took responsibility for the reassignments. The Superintendent confirmed the reduction in CAPS staffing, did not only affect the 5th District but that the cuts have affected each of the city’s 25 police districts. Residents felt CAPS officers serve an important need, and their reassignment had unraveled the relationship of trust that has been established between the Chicago Police Department and Roseland residents.
Loitering
Commander Ball emphasized the need to increase the police force on the streets and that Caps cuts helped the focus on big crime issues. There are always limited resources so violence and drug activity would be the main focus. But residents felt addressing the less sensational crimes such as loitering was just as important and as critical as fighting violence and drug activity.
More Police
Super. Weis stated that over 200 officers will be amongst the CPD hiring budget for 2011! He said "Change isn’t always good. The people of the community I’m sure find it hard to trust many new police so we need to keep them feeling safe, confident and happy so that everyone can continue to work together to do their best in making them feel involved and deter crime if at all possible."
Developing strategies to address community Crime
The group was informed the best Neighborhood Problem Solving method for nuisance issues was The 5 Step Program. The success of problem solving was told through a story of one block club member that stopped loitering in front of a store by the residents and police using the five-step process to reclaim the street from gang bangers and drug dealers. Neighborhood problems solved!
Message from this meeting
There are no prerequisites for becoming a problem solver. No experience is needed, and you do not have to be a community leader. You just have to be a good citizen and care enough to want to make a difference in your neighborhood. Block Clubs enables ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
