A report by Northwestern researchers at CORNERS (The Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research and Science) assesses the impact of one such strategy — a pilot community policing initiative adopted in 2019 by the Chicago Police Department in partnership with the Policing Project at New York University (NYU) — found the promising Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative (CNPI) has shown no conclusive impact on public safety, likely due to the Chicago Police Department’s failure to fully implement CNPI.
“The city and the police department have time and time again stressed the desire to invest in improving their relationship with Chicagoans. This initiative is one way to perhaps move in that direction. But it requires committing to a new philosophy and demonstrating commitment to it — even given all of the other constraints facing our city,” said sociology professor Andrew Papachristos, faculty director of CORNERS and a fellow with the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern.
The report highlights key successes and challenges and includes data and insights from CNPI stakeholders from the initiative’s start in 2019 through present day. The report also tracks progress on key metrics related to perceptions of public safety, 911 calls for service and violent crime rates.
Continue reading in Northwestern Now’s story “Shortcomings revealed in Chicago’s implementation of community policing initiative.”