Humboldt Park in the West Side of Chicago has received a bad reputation from outsiders for being one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. People not living the community fail to see the decreasing crime rates of the neighborhood as reported by the Chicago Tribune. All types of crime in Humboldt Park have decreased by at least half from February 2001 to February 2014.

Humboldt Park has gone through great change throughout the past decade with crime being one of the motivational factors pushing community reconstruction. Improving community relations with the police and within the people of Humboldt Park is important because the most effective way of not only reducing, but also preventing crime in Humboldt Park is with the involvement of the people through community lead policing and programs aiming to improve the quality of life for young adults.

Chicago Police Captain Roger Bay has worked in the Humboldt Park area for a long time and knows the dynamics of the community and has seen first-hand how the neighborhood has transformed. When looking at how to reduce crime, he places a heavy emphasis on changing the way police treat the community. He states that his goal is to “notice the small details that signal trouble, and to work with residents and businesses to change the fabric of the area in ways that busts alone will never do.”

The main point to take from this is that prevention is key. If the police is able to prevent crime before it happens, it will not only reduce crime rates, but also improve the quality of life for the people living in Humboldt Park. Having said this, smart policing working towards crime prevention requires is large community involvement. Community relations with the police must be improved by placing more officers on the street, allowing them to interact with the residents and change the way Humboldt Park is depicted to encourage more people to visit and engage in the culture of Humboldt Park. Police programs to encourage community involvement must be improved and youth programs have to receive more funding to ensure a better living environment. 

Furthermore, programs working with the youth and encouraging community involvement will set up a bright future for Humboldt Park. These programs include community YMCA’s, CeaseFire, Block Clubs, Chicago Park District Sports and Camps, as well as after-school programs. The idea is that if kids remain busy and engaged in activities within their own neighborhood, it will build a bond between young adults and the physical environment know as Humboldt Park.

When these programs targeting the youth are combined with community meetings where the peoples’ voices and opinions are heard and considered by the police, the resulting product is a move towards safer streets as well as the police being seen as facilitating peace instead of being an intruding force. This will also allow the police to become truly familiar with the norm of the neighborhood and understand the concern of the people while maintaining a good connection with the community.

When interviewing a community member, the response I received was that almost everyone in the neighborhood has at least one personal story involving crime and gangs. The increase in crime had challenged the community to maintain close connections but since the fall in crime there has been a movement to integrate better value in the neighborhood with increased interaction among themselves through the rich culture they all share. Longtime community member also said that the move to a restorative justice, which Captain Bay also encourages, would increase deterrence and give opportunity for former offenders to fix their lives and also begin participating in the community.

Humboldt Park’s crime rates have continuously decreased over the past decade and to continue the trend the people of Humboldt Park must be encouraged to engage in bettering the community and allow its rich culture to serve to the communities’ benefit and not be overshadowed by crime.