Preparing police for community policing; an evaluation of training for Chicago’s alternative policing strategy

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a process evaluation of training for Chicago’s Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), which is the city’s version of community policing. The study’s approach and instrumentation were adopted from the field of adult education and involved observation and ratings of trainee and trainer behaviors. Two types of training were observed: orientation and skills building. Also, personal interviews were conducted with sergeants, lieutenants, and sworn trainers. The trainers overall were enthusiastic and knowledgeable but did not make adequate techniques to draw participants into the learning process. The article concludes with recommendations on how to implement training for community policing.