COP House Playbook
A COP House is a physical home located in a residential area which is staffed by police officers and other service providers. It is open to the public during strategically decided hours. Officers who staff the COP House work with intention to build relationships with residents and prioritize the needs of the neighborhood. Residents can frequent the house to interact with officers and access services provided by partner agencies and organizations. The Racine Police Department is a pioneer in creating the neighborhood COP (Community Oriented Policing) Houses. Under this neighborhood "place-based" public safety model, traditional police public safety efforts are supplemented by several programs, services, initiatives, all of which are designed to promote community engagement in reducing crime and improving the quality of life for area residents.
A COP House is a physical home located in a residential area which is staffed by police officers and other service providers. It is open to the public during strategically decided hours. Officers who staff the COP House work with intention to build relationships with residents and prioritize the needs of the neighborhood. Residents can frequent the house to interact with officers and access services provided by partner agencies and organizations.
The Racine Police Department is a pioneer in creating the neighborhood COP (Community Oriented Policing) Houses. Under this neighborhood "place-based" public safety model, traditional police public safety efforts are supplemented by several programs, services, initiatives, all of which are designed to promote community engagement in reducing crime and improving the quality of life for area residents.
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career. COP House officers cannot do their jobs solely from inside
the house. In addition to being in the house, officers need to
spend time in the community, on the beat, talking to residents,
and visiting city hall to address neighborhood concerns.
Example:
COP House officers in Racine and Mt. Pleasant have had significant
success by combining Crime Prevention Through Environmental
Design strategies, code enforcement, initiatives to build home
ownership, and creative community programs. All of these are
executed while continually keeping up the daily tasks listed above.
Officers assigned to the COP House must take ownership and
pride in the house. Like any engaged resident, officers need to
invest in getting to know the neighbors. Meaningful relationships
with community members are not separate from the work of being
a police officer; they are essential to the work. When managed
correctly, COP House officers will see themselves as part of the
neighborhood community.
Be realistic about staffing needs.
For a COP House to be successful, there needs to be an officer
present and the house needs to be open for a significant amount
of time on a regular basis. If the house is infrequently staffed and
infrequently open, the outcomes of the project will be limited. If
the department tells neighbors that an officer will be present in
the community at the COP House, the department needs to plan
how to make that vision come to fruition.
Success won’t happen overnight.
It takes a full year for an officer to understand their new role and
gain resident trust. Success isn’t necessarily something that will
come quickly for a new COP House officer.
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