The Chicago Police Department is expanding its "neighborhood policing initiative" to three Chicago neighborhoods, city officials announced Thursday.
The announcement was made by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Police Supt. David Brown Thursday morning at the city's 10th police district.
There, they revealed that the community-focused policing program will be expanded to the 9th, 10th and 11th Districts.
As part of the program, the department plans to add "district coordination officers" to each of those districts this fall. Those officers will "work directly with community members to resolve public safety issues through collaboration and remedy neighborhood issues with the help of beat officers, detectives, aldermen, area businesses and sister agencies."
The officers will have cell phones, business cards and email addresses they can give to residents "so they can not only express their concerns one-on-one but work with the officers on ongoing non-emergency public safety affecting the community, such as speeding cars or a loud neighbor," the mayor's office said.
The program was first piloted in the 25th District in January 2019.
According to the mayor's office, that district has received 1,538 fewer 911 calls and fewer calls for lower priority incidents like fireworks or a barking dog that often get placed on a backlog.
