03-25

Project

Project ACHILLES(Attacking Crime in //artley and /mproving Life

with //aw Enforcement and *Support)

Summary

The Robert Hartley Housing Complex is located in the heart ofthe city of New Rochelle, the seventh largest city in New Yorkwith a population of 72,500. The Hartley Complex comprises asix-block area, with five low-income housing buildings withapproximately 250 families. In addition, the area has numerousmulti-family dwellings, several businesses and six houses ofworship. The Hartley area had experienced for over ten years ahigh incidence of violence, a high incidence of drug use, andpoor quality of life for the residents as well as a poor citizen-police relationship, rife with suspicion and distrust. ProjectACHILLES was initiated in the early part of 1999. Theendeavor encompasses the two core, equally importantcomponents of community policing: community partnershipand problem solving. The acronym ACHILLES stands forAttacking Crime in //artley and /mproving Zife with ZawEnforcement and /mproving Zife with Law Enforcement andiSupport. The Hartley area represented the Achilles heel orweak spot of the city. The goal of the Project ACHILLES wasto reduce incidence of violence, reduce drug use, improvequality of life and improve the police-citizen relationship. Theresults have been remarkable. From 1999-2002, a 34%reduction in serious crime, a 27% increase in arrests, a 35%increase in city code summonses dealing with quality of lifeissues and a 14% increase in closed Detective cases due toincreased community cooperation. The improved rapport withthe community has also been evidenced by a reduction incivilian complaints, specifically a 65% reduction from 1999-2002. The following project document details the manner inwhich the SARA model of problem solving was utilized, thethree phases of the response plan and the numerous communityagencies that provided support. The aerial photograph on thefollowing page depicts the Hartley area and the supportprograms.

Training - The New Rochelle Police Department is committedto community policing. The Department's core philosophy-Police And Community Together or PACT was implementedin May 1994. The city is divided into eleven beats, and twelvebeat officers are the primary community-policing practitionersin their area. The beats were designed to encompassneighborhood associations, houses of worship, businesses andschools. The beat officers provide proactive services tailored tothe community's needs. Directed response, rather than randompatrol, is the primary method of providing services to the NewRochelle community. The Department is a total problem-oriented policing Department. Every member of theDepartment is a community-policing practitioner. Problem-oriented policing, with the key tactic of problem solving, is themain strategy that the Department uses for successfulcommunity policing. The Department has been successful inchanging the quality of contact with the community. Thisrequired a move from the traditional method of policing-patrolling in cars for the purpose of responding to calls forservice. During a call for service, officers usually meet peopleunder duress, which can cause these contacts to be negative.By placing officers in beats and moving the officers out ofpatrol vehicles and becoming less reactive has increased thepositive contacts between officers and the community. TheDepartment determined that a key component in creatingpositive contacts was also effective communication between theofficers and the community. All Department members receivedpersonal communications training designed to make them a"contact professional". Every contact is viewed as anopportunity to gain public support and further the Department'sgoals. All employees have been trained to be assertive, notaggressive. All Department members have been trained in theproblem-solving method of SARA, which has enabled them toproduce marked reductions in neighborhood violence, domesticviolence, drug trafficking and drug use, auto theft, and repeatoffender incarceration.

-1-

Community outreach is an important aspect of communitypolicing, not subject to change or discontinuance. AllDepartment members have attended PTA, City Council,Neighborhood Association and Business Association meetingsto seek input from the community on what they expect fromtheir police department. As a result of these meetings, theDepartment regularly engages in community organizing,civilian training and neighborhood surveying. The Departmentalso operates a mobile precinct, which is a 3 5-foot long special-use vehicle. The vehicle facilitates the Department's outreachefforts. Programs such as Domestic violenceintervention/counseling, security surveying, neighborhoodsurveying and civilian framing are conducted throughout thecity.

The community owns the Department. Like shareholders in aprivate corporation they participate in the decisions that impacton the direction the Department moves and the delivery ofservices to the community. The Department's long-termcommunity policing plan complements New York State'sByrne Program Strategy by using community policing to reduceviolent crime, drug trafficking, and drug use. Communityinvolvement, framing and inter-agency collaboration bothenhance and complement the Byrne strategy.

Prologue

In preparation of launching the first phase of the response plan,local clergy and community leaders in partnership with the NewRochelle Police Department created a group named the"Citizens for a Better New Rochelle". Upon its formation, thefollowing mission statement was adopted: "The Police and theCommunity working together to provide a mutually respectfulrelationship through open lines of communication andcooperation." This group consists of members of the PoliceDepartment, clergy, NAACP, New Rochelle MunicipalHousing Authority, Youth Bureau, City Council, UnitedTenants Council, Community Action Program, neighborhoodassociations and civic groups. The "Citizens for a Better NewRochelle" was established to serve as a conduit between thePolice Department and the community during all phases of theresponse plan.

Scanning and Analysis

Crime analysis was utilized by the Department in conjunctionwith the "Citizens for a Better New Rochelle" to identify thearea of the city with the most recurring problems of concern tothe Police and to the community. By utilizing the Department'srecords management system, the Hartley area was singled outwith the highest incidence of serious crime. The majority of theserious crime, i.e. robberies, assaults, drug-involved shootings,was committed by male/blacks aged 17-29. These crimesgenerally occurred during evening hours, 7:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m.Neighborhood surveys were conducted, and it was determinedthat the residents believed the quality of life was generally poor,and the long-standing distrust between the Police and thiscommunity continued to exist. Police were viewed as distantand insensitive to the needs of the community. The above listedproblems had existed for the past 10-12 years, causing manyharmful effects to the community and to the Department. Thearea had become a known drug-activity location, attractingdealers and buyers. This illegal activity made the areaiinsafe,and cast a stigma on those law-abiding residents of thecommunity. It was also unsafe for children to congregate in theplaygrounds, as well as Lincoln Park. Property value decreasedas the area became less desirable. The problems also caused adrain on Department resources, with a high number of calls forservice, with most calls to the Hartley area requiring more thanone police unit. The distrust between the community and thePolice resulted in a poor rapport between the two, with verylittle or no cooperation provided by the community duringPolice investigations.

-3-

Phase 1 - Stabilization

Response - The Department determined that the first stage inthe response plan in dealing with the Hartley area crime anddisorder was to stabilize the incidence of criminal activity in thearea and provide a much greater police presence. This wasaccomplished by the following methods. The Department'sSpecial Investigations Unit, utilizing undercover agents,launched numerous operations prior to 1999 to address the drugactivity in the area, and these efforts culminated with over 200arrests in the Hartley Area for drug related offenses. Thesearrests had an immediate, positive impact on the Hartley area,with numerous drug dealers now incarcerated and the residentsfeeling an improved sense of security.

The Department has also utilized additional units to patrol theRobert Hartley Housing Complex. Working with the NewRochelle Municipal Housing Authority, two Housing Officerswere acquired through COPS funding and were assigned tothe Hartley Complex. These officers have gained thecommunity's trust by becoming personally involved with thelives of the residents, as well as dealing with serious crimeinvolving drugs and firearms. The president of the UnitedTenants Council, and the Executive Director of the NewRochelle Municipal Housing Authority, have both commendedthe officers on numerous occasions. The New Rochelle Mayorhas called the community policing efforts by these two officersa complete success. These officers and their activity were thesubject of a feature article in the New York Times on January13th, 2002. It should be noted that the Police Commissionerpurposely assigned these two white police officers to this areathat is comprised predominantly of black residents. His intentwas to demonstrate to the community and the police departmentthat a white officer could succeed in gaining trust of theresidents by properly communicating with them, caring aboutthem and dealing effectively with their concerns and crime inthe area.

-4-

Loitering- The New Rochelle Police Department has addressedseveral quality-of-life issues after determining that theseviolations often contributed to some of the fear amongstresidents in the Robert Hartley Housing Complex area. Severalof the conditions perceived by many of the area's residentswere continuing problems of loitering, drinking in public andnoise issues. Specifically, groups loitering on a particularcorner, blocking pedestrians from entering a store, actingdisorderly and creating additional calls for service to the police.The Neighborhood Watch Patrol, which received trainingfrom the New Rochelle Police Department, began engaging inconversation with these groups and conveyed to them thecommunity's displeasure with their conduct. In a short time,the loitering groups were dispersed.

Legislation - Another concern was trespassing in theRobert Hartley Housing buildings. Due to limitations placed onthe police because of ambiguous/poor signage in thesebuildings, as well as the absence of the definition of "publicplace" in the New Rochelle city code, police were oftenpowerless to enforce trespassing statutes in these buildings. Asa result of efforts from the "Citizens for a Better NewRochelle" a comprehensive definition of "public place", whichnow includes public housing property, was incorporated intothe city code. The detailed definition of "public property" wasthe missing element in effective enforcement by the police withan ongoing problem, and it also demonstrated a creative andinnovative approach that promotes quality and excellence inlaw enforcement. City code enforcement, dealing with qualityof life issues, was also possible now. In addition, a banned listwas created to identify those individuals that regularlydisrupted the peace of the community through criminalbehavior, loitering, drinking in public, etc. These individualswere served an official notice advising them that they were nolonger legally entitled to enter or remain on municipal housingauthority property. This process now allowed the police tomake an instant arrest of a banned individual who had created anuisance and negatively affected the quality of life in thecommunity. The Housing Officers mentioned earlier mademany of these arrests.

-5-

Their efforts have resulted in a 34% reduction in seriouscrime from 1999-2002 in the Robert Hartley HousingComplex, a 27% increase in arrests and a 35% increase incity code summonses. Additionally, a federal three-strike lawwas implemented in the Hartley complex to allow eviction ofchronic offenders.

Other components of Phase 1 included assignment of CriticalIncident Unit Officers to Lincoln Park during hours of peakactivity including the summer basketball league. Lincoln Parkattracts large numbers of people during the basketball games,with incidences of drinking in public and disorderly conduct aconcern. The patrol of uniformed members of the Departmentcontributed to a much-improved Park that all residents canenjoy. Additionally, the Sector Officer and the Beat Officerwere directed to provide patrols of the area. All of theseofficers have been effective, through uniformed patrol as wellas undercover work, in effecting arrests and improving thequality of life in the area.

The Mobile Precinct, a 35-foot long special use vehicle, wasalso deployed to the Hartley area. The vehicle has facilitatedthe Department's outreach efforts, and served as a base ofoperation for the Housing Officers.

Phase 2 - Law Enforcement with Community Support

With the Hartley area stabilized, Phase 2 of the response planwas implemented. This phase consisted of the New RochellePolice Department, working with numerous communityorganizations to establish a solid presence and support systemfor the residents.

The Community/Police Liaison Office was established at33 Lincoln Avenue, with a three-fold purpose: to improvemutual respect between the police and the community, toenhance the lines of communication between the police and thecommunity and to gain a greater degree of trust between thepolice and the community. Community organizations andprivate corporations donated all office space, telephone,carpeting and furniture. The Liaison office, which is staffed byboth police officers as well as residents, has brought New

-6-

Rochelle Police to the community. The assistance with thestaffing of the office by residents has enabled the department tostrengthen police relations, effectively use resources andpromote community participation. Citizens appear at theLiaison office to report crimes, request information on issuessuch as domestic violence, quality-of-life enforcement, and thecivilian complaint process. Residents also utilize the office as ameeting place. As an example, the New Rochelle PoliceDepartment's Training Unit provides training to residentsforming a Neighborhood Watch Patrol. Since the communityhas more access to the police officers on a person-to-personbasis, many barriers and tensions mentioned earlier have beenbroken down. Increased intelligence because of the greatertrust has resulted in making the target area safer and reducingthe negative effects of the rumor mill. Gang-related issues havebeen dealt with by inviting the parents who have children shot,killed or sentenced to prison, to the Liaison office to providecounseling and prevent future acts of violence by engaging in aproactive process of early intervention.

Department's Community Resources CoordinatorThe Department's Community Resources Coordinator hasserved as the key component in this endeavor, bringing togetherthe numerous entities to work cohesively. The Village Teamhas been utilized to address several areas of concern. This teamconsists of over 40 entities, and is used to examine existingphysical, emotional and intellectual development, and identifyunmet needs. The intent is to provide the developmentalexperiences that promote thriving and resiliency i.e. familysupport, positive family communication, a caringneighborhood, a caring school climate, parent involvement inschooling; a perception that adults in the community valueyouth; parents and other adults modeling positive, responsiblebehavior; positive peer influence; high expectations by parentsand teachers of young people and the opportunity to engage increative activities. The Village Team has a long-termperspective, understanding that efforts must be comprehensive,collaborative and enduring. All organizations with a role in thecommunity need to participate because each brings particularstrengths and capacities to a culturally diverse community asset

-7-

building effort. The team places a high value on both processand outcome evaluation.

Several other events have been held to deal with theaforementioned problems in the Robert Hartley HousingComplex area. These events were held to strengthen police-community relations and obtain input on perceived problemsrelative to quality-of-life issues, crime, community-policerelations, civilian complaint process or any other concernsvoiced by the community that needed to be addressed. In Mayof 1999, an open house was held for the mobile precinct in theRobert Hartley Housing Complex. Information was providedon employment opportunities, community programs, youthviolence, the RESPECT club and other information on cityagencies. The RESPECT club is a forum for youths aged 7-16to address a number of issues such as drug use and familyissues, and is coordinated by a New Rochelle Police Officer. InFebruary 2000, a "Meet the Citizens for a Better NewRochelle" night was held to engage in meaningful dialoguewith community members. The Neighborhood Watch Patrolwas formed and implemented after being trained, and theirpresence has resulted in reduced loitering, and a greater senseof safety amongst the residents. Calls for service in the RobertHartley Housing Complex area have decreased, especiallyduring the hours of their patrols. A Citizen Police Academywas held for residents of this area with five specified objectives:Encourage an increased communication and interactionbetween the New Rochelle police officers and they communitywhich they serve; Dispel misconceptions about the roles,responsibilities and activities of the New Rochelle policeofficers; Provide participants with a basic understanding ofpolice powers and limitations imposed by law and departmentpolicy; Familiarize participants with the dangers, difficultiesand ambiguities inherent in modern police work and Foster acitizen-police partnership to combat crime and develop a safercommunity. Additionally, the New Rochelle Board ofEducation, the Youth Bureau and the Youth Court have allcontributed towards the improvements in the Robert HartleyHousing Complex area.

The preceding information has demonstrated, by specificexamples that Project ACHILLES has been, and will continue

-8-

to be, successful in achieving a safer community as well as asolid relationship between the community and the policedepartment. Crime has been reduced in this area, calls forpolice service are decreased, residents feel safer and there ismore cooperation between the residents and the police.Additional achievements will be realized because thispartnership is viable, based in trust and understanding, andlimited only by its imagination. For over four years, thispartnership has grown, matured and persevered in an arenawhere many such partnerships lose their purpose, lose theirstrength and eventually cease to exist. We confidentlyanticipate that Project ACHILLES will, for years to come,improve the quality-of-life for New Rochelle business ownersand residents.

Phase 3 - Continuance of Police-Community Partnership

The New Rochelle Police Department and the numerouscommunity agencies involved in the response plan continuetheir relationship with numerous events. A Police-Clergybreakfast is held at least once a year as a forum to exchangeideas. A mentoring program has been established through theBoys and Girls Club and Police Foundation, with the ultimategoal being the establishment of a Police Athletic League. The"Citizens for A Better New Rochelle" continues to meet on aregular basis, and has served as a conduit between the PoliceDepartment and community on a number of occasions.Another Citizen Police Academy has been planned, and TheVillage Team continues to provide necessary support.

Assessment - Project ACHILLES has been evaluated utilizingseveral different methods. The New Rochelle PoliceDepartment's records management system has been used forcomparison statistics on crimes, calls for service, arrest, andcity code violations. Serious crimes (Part 1 crimes) havedecreased 34% from 1999-2002 in the Robert Hartley HousingComplex area. Calls for service to the police have decreased19% from 1999-2002. Arrests have increased by 27% from1999-2002, and city code summonses have increased 35% from1999-2002. Additionally, according to the United StatesDepartment of Justice "Crime in the United States", New

-9-

Rochelle was the fifth safest city its size nationwide (70,000-80,000 in population) during the year 2000, and third safestcity nationwide during the year 2001. Intangible items suchas trust and a perception of safety have been measured throughneighborhood surveys, at community meetings and duringinformal contacts between the police and the community. Allof these continue to demonstrate that the police have gained thetrust of the residents in the Robert Hartley Housing Complexarea, and the residents feel safer. The Criminal InvestigationsDivision has experienced a 14% increase in closing cases in theRobert Hartley Housing Complex area from 1999-2002, mostlydue to information provided because of greater cooperationbetween the police and the community, with the communityand police "accepting" one another. It is anticipated that all ofthese measures, statistical and otherwise, will continue todemonstrate that the police-community partnership remainsstrong and committed to improving the quality-of-life andreducing crime. Civilian complaints, which include forcecomplaints, abuse of authority, discourtesy and ethnic slurs,have decreased 65% from 1999-2002.

The New Rochelle Police Department has learned severalvaluable lessons from Project ACHILLES. Training for alldepartment members is imperative for any problem-orientedpolicing initiative to succeed. The members must haveknowledge and skills to approach problems in a non-traditionalmanner, and to gain the trust and support of the community.Every department member must be a community-policingpractitioner. A solid, honest partnership must be establishedbetween the police and the community. The "Citizens for aBetter New Rochelle" exemplifies this in Project ACHILLES.In addition to the regular meetings of the group, numeroussubcommittees have been formed to deal effectively withspecific problems or concerns. The group also remains ready tomeet on short notice should an emergency situation arise wherecommunity unrest is likely. A total community outreach effortmust be implemented, utilizing the PTA, City Council,neighborhood associations, media, civic groups, businessassociations and other city agencies for support services andresources.

The SARA model of problem solving should be utilized toaddress the most recurring problems. Scanning, Analysis,

-10-

Response and Assessment are all crucial steps in dealing withthese problems. The problem must first be clearly identified andstated, which will allow the remaining three stages to workefficiently. The analysis is crucial because the response planwill be guided accordingly. The response should be multi-faceted, bringing together as many resources as possible. Eachentity will have it's own strengths and capabilities, and the sumof all entities will provide for any efficient and capableresponse. The final stage, Assessment, is vital in that adetermination must be made as to the effectiveness of theimplemented strategies. Evaluation of the strategies must beongoing to remain credible.

Other agencies can adopt all of the strategies and practicesemployed during this project. The methods are generic enoughthat they should be universally acceptable, and effective in anypolice department or community. In concluding, the acronymto remember for any community-policing journey such asProject ACHILLES is TRIP. The police and the communityare embarking together on a TRIP. T is for training of alldepartment members in problem-solving tactics and skills, aswell as personal communications; R is for the relationshipbetween the police and the community, a relationship that isabsolutely necessary; / i s for the intelligence gathered toidentify the recurring problems; and P is for problem-solvingby the police and the community which includes the responsemeasures that are implemented.

-11-

Conclusion

Project ACHILLES was initiated in the early part of 1999, andthe preceding project document has demonstrated, by specificexamples, that the project has been successful in achieving itsobjectives. Always a central component of the project has beenthe "Citizens for a Better New Rochelle's" mission statement:"The police and the community working together to provide amutually respectful relationship through open lines ofcommunication and cooperation". A municipality in whichthere exists a sound relationship between the police and thecommunity is invariably a safer community, has better crimeprevention methods, has residents who provide input into thepolice department's policies and has police officers whogenuinely are concerned with the people who live or work ontheir beat, sector or zone. Police officers, who care about thepeople they serve have, in turn, people who care about them.Project ACHILLES exemplifies this partnership in our city.Much has been accomplished in a relatively short amount oftime. Additional achievements will be realized because thispartnership is viable, based in trust and understanding, andlimited only by its imagination. We proudly list the followingas some of our accomplishments: Sustained reduction in crime,increased arrests, increased city code summonses, greatercooperation between the police and the community, greatersense of safety amongst the residents, establishment of thePolice/Liaison office, an honest exchange of informationbetween the community and the police, rumors dispelled toprevent possible crises, increased communication and good willbetween community leaders and the police and gaining the trustof residents.

We confidently anticipate that Project ACHILLES will, foryears to come, be a vital part in the continued improvement inquality-of-life for this areas residents and business owners.

Supplemental

Information

Dear Friend:

On February 02, 2000, the New Rochelle Police Department will host a Citizen PoliceAcademy. This program will be conducted once a week, on Wednesdays, for ten weeks. Classes willbegin at 6:00 p.m. and end at 8:00 p.m.

The Citizen Police Academy is designed to strengthen the partnership between the NewRochelle Police Department and the community we serve. Citizens of our community will beintroduced to the law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Instructors for the Citizen PoliceAcademy will represent every facet of the New Rochelle Police Department Included among theseinstructors will be the Police Commissioner, Division Commanders and other police instructors whohave developed presentations on selected topics. It is the goal of the Citizen Police Academy toprovide the community with an accurate insight of their Police Department and encourage increasedinteraction between New Rochelle Police Officers and the citizens of New Rochelle.

I encourage you to review the attached material and complete the Citizen Police AcademyApplication. The completed application should be forwarded to our Training Unit. Our trainingstaff is available to provide you with further information, concerning this program. The trainingstaff can be reached at (914) 654-2323/2324.

Thank you for your interest in the Citizen Police Academy, I look forward to receiving yourapplication and hope to see you on February 2, 2000.

Program Objectives

The Citizen Police Academy has been designed to strengthen the partnership between the NewRochelle Police Department and the citizens of New Rochelle. The objectives of this program are:

1. Encourage an increased communication and interaction between the New Rochelle PoliceOfficers and the community, which they serve.

2. Dispel misconceptions about the roles, responsibilities and activities of the New Rochelle PoliceOfficers.

3. Provide participants with a basic understanding of police powers and limitations imposed byLaw and Police Department policy.

4. Familiarize participants with the dangers, difficulties and ambiguities inherent to modern policework.

5. Foster a citizen-police partnership to combat crime and develop a safer community.