ALBANY PARK — It's a new year and new CAPS format for the Albany Park Police District.
In late December, the district's CAPS office announced meetings would be conducted by "sector" — residents of adjacent beats will now meet jointly on a monthly basis instead of individually every other month.
The consolidated sectors are beats 1711, 1712 and 1713; beats 1722, 1723 and 1724; and beats 1731, 1732 and 1733.
In explaining the shift via Facebook, Sgt. Michael Anderson said the change allows every beat to meet once a month and promotes the sharing of information across beat boundaries.
The way districts are divided, the north side of a street could be in one beat and the south side in another — and never the twain should meet to swap crime stats via CAPS.
Some residents responded with concerns that meeting locations would no longer be convenient for neighbors in far-flung corners of a sector and that the number of issues raised by three different beats would prove unwieldy during an hour-long meeting.
Others said the new format would allow for people to learn about crime in surrounding areas.
Beats 1731, 1732 and 1733 will meet the second Wednesday of the month. The first combined CAPS session is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Athletic Park field house, 3546 W. Addison St. Boundaries are Cicero Avenue, the Chicago River, Irving Park Road and Belmont Avenue.
Beats 1722, 1723 and 1724 will meet the third Wednesday of the month. The first "20-sector" meeting will be 6:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Albany Park District station, 4650 N. Pulaski Road. Boundaries are Cicero Avenue, the Chicago River, Lawrence Avenue and Irving Park Road.
Beats 1711, 1712, 1713 will meet the fourth Wednesday of the month, with the inaugural sector gathering set for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at Mayfair Church, 5020 N. Pulaski Road. Boundaries are Cicero Avenue, the Chicago River, Devon Avenue and Lawrence Avenue (with a small corner extending to Wilson Avenue between Kimball and the river).
A beat map can be found online.
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