Chicago Police Take to Twitter, Internet to Combat Lincoln Park Crime

The Chicago Police Department is jumping into a new age of technology as the city's crime rate is gaining national attention.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy Monday to announce a series of new features for residents to interact with police, access information and share tips. The change comes 20 years after the launch of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy, better known as CAPS.

READ: Drop in Homicides 'Progress' but 'By No Means Victory', McCarthy Says

“Online or on the block, CAPS need to be where the community is,” Emanuel said. “We are using every asset, visible and virtual, traditional tools and new technologies, cops and community members, to make our neighborhoods safe.”

The announcement comes after a violent weekend in Chicago. More than 70 people were shot—12 fatally—between Wednesday and Sunday nights. 

The most recent shooting near the Lincoln Park neighborhood occurred on the evening of June 26 in the 400 block of West Evergreen Avenue in nearby Old Town. 

Witnesses said they heard dozens of rounds fired before a 29-year-old man and 20-year-old man were injured. The incident was not fatal.

Despite such reports of gun violence, shootings are down about 25 percent for the first six months of 2013 compared to 2012, the Chicago Tribune reports. 

As of July 2, more than 1,000 people have been shot throughout the city, with no incidents in Lincoln Park.

Among Emanuel's new communications tactics is creating local Twitter accounts so police can give information to residents in a specific neighborhood. 

The pilot program launched Monday and covers three districts—Englewood, Harrison and Near North—but will soon expand citywide. 

The Near North, or 18th District, includes parts of Lincoln Park, with the remaining portions of the community falling within the city's 19th District.

In addition, police will soon be increasing access to local beat meetings via the internet so residents can participate from home. 

Once launched, neighbors can watch the regularly scheduled meetings online and ask questions via a forum.

A cleaner and easier to navigate Chicago Police website also debuted.

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“These new tools are an important step forward for the Chicago Police Department and for the city,” McCarthy said. “Our comprehensive policing strategy involves much more than policing alone, and by continuing to improve our communications with residents we will continue to foster stronger relationships that will benefit all of Chicago.”

Lastly, there are new ways residents can share information with police. Those with a camera-equipped cell phone can now send photos while on the phone with 911. 

They’ll just need to let the representative know they have a photo, and a message will pop up on the person’s phone to send an image.

That’s combined with a new way to share anonymous tips via text messages. 

Anyone with a tip can text the word CPD followed by their tip to 274637—or “CRIMES”—and an anonymous message will be sent to the Crime Prevention and Information Center.