An analysis of police responses to gangs in Chicago

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Abstract: In response to Chicago’s well‐documented gang problem, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) established its first specialized gang unit in 1967. In the ensuing decades, the CPD reorganized its core gang unit several times and expanded its anti‐gang response through numerous supporting restructuring efforts. The Chicago experience indicates that reorganization can positively and negatively influence the relative effectiveness of the police response to gangs. As such, the lessons for police departments are twofold: be careful when restructuring, particularly when adapting for reasons not tied to the actual gang problem; but reorganize whenever necessary to address rising gang violence. This article December 2008 in the journal Police Practice and Research.

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Our published articles have appeared in research journals and professional public safety and policing publications. Our topic areas focus on community policing, juvenile delinquency, gang crime, violence, police operations, supervision, and leadership. They are provided here as a professional resource. Read and join the discussion by clicking on the links to each article below.

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