The CHICAGO Plan

The CHICAGO Plan is a Chicago Police Department initiative that works with the business community to attack crime and gang offenses and to help make Chicago a safer city.

The CHICAGO Plan asks business owners across the city to register their privately owned closed circuit security camera systems and devices. As the Police Department responds to criminal incidents in the community, they can use any information or footage gathered from these security cameras to assist business owners and community members in the apprehension and prosecution of the criminals involved.

There are two ways that you can register:

1. Complete the Chicago Plan form online via the Chicago Police Department’s CLEARpath webpage at www.chicagopolice.org.
2. Download and complete the Chicago Plan Form at your local district police station. Completed forms can be turned in to your District’s Community Policing Office or faxed to the Chicago Police Department CAPS Project Office at (312) 745-1099.

Click here for more information on the CHICAGO Plan, and remember security cameras can be linked into the City’s 911/ 311 call center through the Private Sector Camera Initiative as well.

New Safety Initiative Targets Troubled Areas

Below is an excerpt from Alderman Smith’s e-newsletter on a new and innovative safety initiative in the 48th Ward.  Follow this link to receive the Alderman’s newsletter directly.

Alderman Smith is using discretionary funds to target troubled areas in the 48th Ward. She has contracted off-duty police to concentrate on three chronic problem locations: the intersection of Winthrop and Winona, Thorndale around the Red Line station and Sheridan Road from Lawrence to Margate Terrace.

The off-duty officers are working in conjunction with the local police district and Board of Education security and focusing their efforts at the dismissal times of schools located in these areas. They are monitoring the flow of traffic, including pedestrian traffic, bringing police attention to any problems or potential problems during these periods and providing suggestions on how to better enhance the safety of these areas.

The goal of this project is to bring additional resources to areas where public safety problems have persisted despite the application of normally successful strategies. It is not designed to minimize or replace the hard work of the Chicago Police and Chicago Public Schools security, or the efforts of the community, but rather to supplement those efforts. Initial reports from the officers and nearby school principals are encouraging. They believe the presence of the off-duty officers has greatly reduced the unsavory elements that typically inhabit these areas after school.

To continue this success, the officers need information from the community. You can help by calling 911 to report illegal and suspicious activity and by attending the local CAPS meetings to provide feedback and exchange information with your neighbors and the police. When calling 911, please remember that information given to the police is kept confidential, and you can choose to remain anonymous.

How to Describe a Suspect

One of the easiest and most important ways for citizens to help stop crime and catch criminals is by providing timely, accurate information to the police.  The files below illustrate how to give the best information possible to police when describing a suspect.  Along with 911 and Beat meetings, chronic community concerns can now be reported online using this tool on the CPD website as well.  This tool should not be used to report issues that need an immediate police response.  Those problems should still be reported directly to 911.