CHICAGO — The City of Chicago today announced plans to gather community input on policing efforts as well as the expansion of alternate response models that are aimed at strengthening safety citywide and ensuring Chicagoans in need of assistance are always met with the most appropriate resources.  

Community engagement sessions (listed here) will begin this month, November 2024, and continue through early 2025. This transparent engagement process was co-created with the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, the Chicago Police Department, and community partners to advance Mayor Brandon Johnson's People's Plan for Community Safety and the Chicago Police Department's (CPD) reform progress and consent decree compliance. This engagement with community based organizations, as well Chicago’s philanthropic and business partners, through the facilitation of the Civic Consulting Alliance, is an unparalleled opportunity to truly integrate the needs, desires and perspectives of the communities that make up this City into community safety efforts.  

Public input is imperative, especially for consent decree compliance. Listening to the voices of community organizations and members will provide the insight necessary to inform the City and CPD throughout additional policy, training development and implementation work, specifically the Workforce Allocation Study and reimagining community policing. Each of these projects will further strengthen the foundations of a Department rooted in efficiency and constitutional policing as envisioned by the consent decree.   

"I am excited to be taking this critical step forward and center community voice to ensure that our policing and alternate response strategies are built with collaboration between CPD and vested stakeholders inside government and beyond,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Building trust between community and law enforcement by prioritizing reform, accountability, and transparency is one of the key strategic pillars of the People’s Plan for Community Safety – our strategy to support individuals most acutely impacted by violence and address the root causes of violence. I look forward to the progress and safety we will achieve as a city through this initiative” 

Eight community-based organizations have been selected to develop and implement a process to gather community feedback that will be used to inform the continued development and expansion of three streams of the City of Chicago’s public safety work, all of which are in early stages of development with next steps available in mid-late 2025:  

• Community Policing: As outlined in CPD policy, every officer is a community policing officer. To ensure the department continues building on this foundation, CPD is working to adopt a comprehensive approach to community policing that will prioritize relationship and trust-building amongst every officer and resident. The goal of this approach is to broaden communication and collaborative problem-solving between the police department and the communities it serves. Support for this initiative is provided by Civic Consulting Alliance and 21CP Solutions.  

• CPD's Workforce Allocation Study and Model: This study, which is required by City ordinance and rooted in CPD's consent decree efforts, will take a comprehensive look into the department's staffing levels across every bureau and rank, including both sworn and civilian positions. The results of this study will assist CPD in the allocation of resources Department-wide. Matrix has been selected to conduct this study, which is being funded through The Commercial Club of Chicago Foundation, in partnership with several philanthropic and business partners from the region. The scope of this study is available on CPD's website. 

• 911 Alternate Response: The City is exploring new alternate response models for a range of resident needs to prioritize efficient allocation of both City and police resources. These models are geared toward improving specialized response care and equitable outcomes during 911 responses that do not require or are not best met with a police skillset. The City is building on the work of Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) program, a 911 response that sends City employees from the Chicago Department of Public Health - a Crisis Clinician and an Emergency Medical Technical - to meet the needs of those in a behavioral or mental health crisis. Research partners University of Chicago Crime Lab and University of Chicago Health Lab are providing research support for this initiative, together with Civic Consulting Alliance 

"As we continue working to build trust with every resident across the city, it's imperative that their voices are represented in every public safety initiative," said CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling. "I want to thank our partners who are ensuring Chicagoans from every neighborhood have a seat at the table."  

The community-based organizations chosen to lead the community engagement were selected by a cross-sector panel of stakeholders based on an open, competitive process. These organizations represent different demographic areas that contribute to the diversity of Chicago:  

• Brave Space Alliance 

• Bright Star Community Outreach 

• BUILD Incorporated 

• Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community 

• El Valor 

• Target Area Development Corp  

• The Resurrection Project 

• YWCA Metro Chicago  

Together, the eight community-based organizations said, “We are honored to contribute to this city-wide effort. These public safety initiatives can transform interactions with public systems – ultimately leading to greater community cohesion, more equitable and robust responses to crisis situations, and stronger relationships with residents and public systems. We look forward to engaging community and resident voices in this process.”  

Upon the conclusion of these community engagement sessions, a report will be created detailing key learnings and takeaways from the input gathered. This report will be made publicly available.  

The Intersect and Civic Consulting Alliance are providing overall facilitation and project management support for the 8 CBO partners. 

The three initiatives above – community policing, workforce allocation and 911 alternative response – as well as the community engagement sessions are possible because of the generosity of several philanthropic and business partners from the region.  

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Brave Space Alliance. Brave Space Alliance (BSA) is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ center located on the South Side of Chicago dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, for-us by-us resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ+ individuals on the South and West sides of the city. We strive to empower, embolden, and educate each other through mutual aid, knowledge-sharing, and the creation of community-sourced resources as we build toward the liberation of all oppressed peoples. https://bravespacealliance.org/  

Bright Star Community Outreach.  Bright Star Community Outreach is dedicated to building a stronger, safer Bronzeville and beyond by creating impactful community development initiatives that address some of our most pressing societal challenges: violence prevention, economic empowerment, accessible mental health services, homelessness, child safety, and substance abuse. Located in the heart of the Bronzeville neighborhood, we work alongside community members and partners to drive sustainable change and uplift the community through innovative programs and strategic collaborations. https://www.brightstarcommunityoutreach.com/  

BUILD. Broader Urban Involvement & Leadership Development, is a nationally respected gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth development organization based on Chicago’s West Side. Since 1969, we have worked to save lives and mentor young people who live in the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. Our mission is to inspire hope and offer opportunities so youth facing systemic obstacles can achieve positive futures. https://www.buildchicago.org/  

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community. The Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) unites the resources of member organizations and individual members to empower Chinese American communities in Greater Chicago. https://cbcacchicago.org/  

El Valor. El Valor is a non-profit community-based organization founded in 1973 that strives for a community in which all members, including individuals with special needs, can live, learn and work. El Valor’s mission is to support children, people with disabilities, and their families to achieve excellence and participate fully in life. Our programs exist to create opportunities that enrich and empower vulnerable populations to become their own advocates and promote a sense of inclusion within a learning community.  https://elvalor.org/  

Target Area Development Corp. Target Area is a nonprofit organization established in 1995. We serve 5 communities throughout Chicago where we provide a wide range of services to those “most at risk” community members using our R.O.M.E. (Research & Reentry, Outreach & Organizing, Mentoring & Mental Health, Education, Entertainment & Enterprise) model. Our mission is to create safer cities by inspiring and empowering people.  https://www.targetarea.org/  

The Resurrection Project. The Resurrection Project (TRP) builds trusting relationships to educate and propel individuals, immigrants, and families to achieve their social and economic aspirations, stable homes, and equitable participation in their community. TRP is a leading provider of affordable housing, financial education, and immigration services on Chicago’s Southwest side. During the past three decades TRP has worked to improve the lives of individuals and families by creating wealth, building assets, and engaging residents to be catalysts for change. Rooted in the Pilsen community, TRP’s impact now extends across the City of Chicago and through the State of Illinois; we are making steady progress towards leveraging and preserving more than $1 billion in community wealth by 2025. https://resurrectionproject.org/  

YWCA Metro Chicago.   Founded in 1876, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is a social enterprise committed to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. As a leading association among a national network of more than 200 YWCAs, YWCA Metropolitan is committed to advancing safety, wellness and belonging; unleashing youth and family potential; and driving economic equity. Among a diverse and broad portfolio of services, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is a leading provider in the areas of sexual violence and community violence support services, early childhood and childcare provider services, family support services, youth STEM programming, and economic empowerment services. Learn more at www.ywcachicago.org 

21CP Solutions is a diverse, seasoned group of professionals who work to help communities transform the delivery of public safety services.  21CP helps cities and communities effectively tackle the challenges of delivering safe, effective, just, and constitutional public safety services in the 21st Century. https://www.21cpsolutions.com/  

Civic Consulting Alliance is a nonprofit organization that provides pro bono consulting services to public and social sector clients. The organization's unique model brings together government, social impact, and corporate leaders to advance systems-level solutions that make the Chicago region a great place for everyone to live in and work. https://www.ccachicago.org/  

The Intersect is a social impact consulting firm. The firm leverages multi-disciplinary approaches, grounded in the community, to equip and support organizations, leaders, and partners with the information, tools, resources, capacity, and know-how to advance just and equitable solutions. https://www.theintersect.net/   

Matrix Consulting Group. Matrix provides comprehensive consulting services and high quality detailed analysis to local governments, blending subject matter expertise, technical capabilities, and real-world experience to help our clients achieve their goals and enact change. 

The University of Chicago Crime Lab designs, tests, and scales data-driven innovations to improve the public sector’s response to the dual challenges of America’s gun violence crisis and a criminal justice system that is not truly just. 

The University of Chicago Health Lab partners with civic and community leaders to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that improve health outcomes. Core to this work is identifying and engaging persons with lived experiences and the organizations that serve them to learn directly from them about their challenges so they can access services and opportunities that will improve their safety, health, and vitality. https://urbanlabs.uchicago.edu/labs/health  

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