Crime & Safety

Chicago Police Combating Crime with New Website, Twitter

Other features include a way to share photos with 911 via cellphone and a way to send anonymous tips by text.

By Andy Ambrosius

The Chicago Police Department is jumping into a new age of technology as the city's crime rate is gaining national attention.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy Monday to announce a series of new features for residents to interact with police, access information and share tips. The change follows 20 years after the launch of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy, better known as CAPS.

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“Online or on the block, CAPS need to be where the community is,” Emanuel said. “We are using every asset, visible and virtual, traditional tools and new technologies, cops and community members, to make our neighborhoods safe.”

The announcement comes after a violent weekend in Chicago. More than 70 people were shot—12 fatally—between Wednesday and Sunday nights. 

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Despite the reports of gun violence, shootings are down about 25 percent for the first six months of 2013 compared to 2012, the Chicago Tribune reported. As of July 2, more than 1,000 people have been shot throughout the city, with no incidents in Lincoln Square.

One of the new technologies includes local Twitter accounts so police can give information to residents in a specific neighborhood. The pilot program launched Monday covering three districts—Englewood, Harrison and Near North—but will soon expand citywide.

In addition, police will soon be increasing access to local beat meetings via the internet so residents can participate from home. Once launched, neighbors can watch the regularly scheduled meetings online and ask questions via a forum.

A cleaner and easier to navigate Chicago Police website also debuted.

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“These new tools are an important step forward for the Chicago Police Department and for the city,” McCarthy said. “Our comprehensive policing strategy involves much more than policing alone, and by continuing to improve our communications with residents we will continue to foster stronger relationships that will benefit all of Chicago.”

Lastly, there are new ways residents can share information with police. Those with a camera-equipped cell phone can now send photos while on the phone with 911. They’ll just need to let the representative know they have a photo, and a message will pop up on the person’s phone to send an image.

That’s combined with a new way to share anonymous tips via text messages. Anyone with a tip can text the word CPD followed by their tip to 274637—or “CRIMES”—and an anonymous message will be sent to the Crime Prevention and Information Center.


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