The Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project in Chicago

Chicago Police Department. A key problem was identification of who was responsiblefor, or who was to have “ownership” of, the Project. The CPD sponsored the Project apparentlyat the behest of the Associate Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.The Commander of the Gang Crime Unit originally interested in and responsible for planning theProject was “pushed aside.” The CPD Research and Development Division wrote the fundingproposal, and, as the Project got underway, the Patrol Division through the local 10 th DistrictCommander was to have some (unclear) responsibility for administering the Project. Researchand Development established financial oversight. The Deputy Superintendent’s Officepresumably was to assure that inter-bureau cooperation was established to support the Project. Itwas not specified how the Organized Crime Unit, Youth Division, Neighborhood Relations,CAPS, and other units of the Department were to be connected with the Project.A liaison lieutenant in Research and Development assisted in the implementation of theProject in the first year or year and half. He came closest to fulfilling the CPD leadership role,but he was unhappy with his role in R&D – and especially with insufficient CPD support for theProject – and transferred out of the R&D Division to an administrative patrol position in the 13 thDistrict. The local 10 th District Commander (assigned only five percent of time to the Project)was never clear about what he was supposed to do. Three different Commanders were assignedto the 10 th District in the first three years of the Project; each hardly paid attention to it. TheNeighborhood Relations sergeant (appointed to the Project twenty percent of time) did appear atbiweekly team meetings, but was not clear initially about his role. His major responsibility wasto facilitate the development of the new CAPS effort. He served essentially as liaison to theCommander, keeping him informed of Project progress and problems. However, two tactical6.8