OPERATION

DISRUPTION

Innovative Violence Reduction Strategies

Focus on Chicago’s Operation Disruption

S P E C I A L R E P O R T
C H I C A G O P O L I C E D E PA RT M E N T
 Operation Disruption: Using Tec
Innovative Crime Reduction Strategy
Utilizes High Visibility Surveillance Pods to Stop Violence Before it Occurs

Innovative Idea Developed by Street Officers

In July of 2003, the
Chicago Police Department
unveiled a revolutionary
pilot program using
specially developed and
customized technology to
reduce crime in Chicago’s
most violence prone
communities. “Operation
Disruption adds one more
tool to our crime-fighting
toolbox,” said Police
Superintendent Philip J.
Cline.“ Specifically aimed
at reducing violent crime
and narcotics activity, the
endeavor will hit drug
dealers and gang bangers in their pocketbook by disrupting
illegal narcotics operations –– the lifeblood of any gang.”
equipped with night
vision capability
enabling them to
operate 24 hours
a day in all weather
conditions. The exte-
rior is constructed
from newly designed,
lightweight, bullet-
proof materials and
coated with a high
reflection exterior
to maximize visibility.
Video that captures
reported crimes will
be preserved for
investigative purposes. All video that records normal,
non-criminal activity will be erased within three days.
The units are funded with asset forfeiture funds. “The best
part of this story is
that drug dealers

“Pods” or “Blue Cherries” — whatever you call

them — they are the drug dealers worst enemy”
“ Engage in violence and
Operation Disruption will
are paying for the
tools that are driving
them out of business.”
shut you down.

At the center of the Operation Disruption pilot are 30

surveillance cameras commonly referred to as “pods”.
These portable units are mounted on city light poles on
the public way. Each unit is equipped with the ability
to capture criminal activity blocks away. The goal of
Operation Disruption is not
to increase arrests but to
create a visible crime
deterrent in communities “ Operation Disruption adds one
more tool to our crime-fighting
that have experienced a
high incidence of violent
crime. “When criminals are
tool box.
”
— Superintendent, Philip Cline
being watched, they alter
their behavior,” said
Deputy Superintendent Barbara McDonald. “It is our goal to
get drug dealers, their customers and other violent offenders
thinking twice before they decide to terrorize our
neighborhoods.”
Each unit, which can be easily mounted on city light
poles, is clearly marked with the Chicago Police logo
and trademark checkerboard pattern. Each unit sports
flashing blue lights on top to ensure a highly visible
presence. Officers manipulate surveillance equipment from
remote locations through the use of a portable
terminal equipped with a monitor and joystick. With the
joystick, the user can pan 360 degrees and zoom in on
specific types of public criminal activity. The pods have been
— Assistant Deputy
Superintendent,
” said Assistant Deputy
Superintendent, Ron
Huberman, who has
Ron Huberman
spearheaded imple-
mentation of the
program.
The design of these unique units and the
strategy that drives their use is the brainchild of
police officers in the Information and Strategic
Services Unit working with a local vender. Each
pod is fully integrated with CLEAR, the
Department’s award-winning information
technology system. “We are sending a message
to the drug-dealing gangs that destroy our
neighborhoods,” said Huberman, who added, “Engage in
violence and Operation Disruption will shut you down.”
Just One Part of Our Comprehensive Strategy
Operation Disruption is yet another layer that has been
added to Superintendent Philip Cline’s comprehensive
violence reduction strategy. “It has served as an effective
force multiplier, the cameras allow us to watch a
neighborhood without deploying additional officers to
the area.” said Steve Caluris, Commander of the
Department’s Deployment Operations Center (DOC).
In the DOC, officers use CLEAR to analyze and map
overnight crime incidents and integrate them with gang
chnology to Address Violence
territories and fresh intelligence to deploy a wide variety of mobile resources
where violent crime is most likely to erupt. Detailed real-time information is shared
Chicago’s
department-wide on a daily basis and is used to drive strategic deployment
decisions, including where the Operation Disruption pods will be located. Violence
The Big Question:
Reduction
Does “Operation Disruption” Work?
“Tool Box”
CALLS FOR SERVICE
Operation Disruption is not a silver bullet,” said Deputy During the last half of 2003,
NARCOTICS

Chicago Police Superintendent

CALLS
ALL

McDonald, “It is intended to work in concert with all other

DOWN strategies the Superintendent has devised. Still statistics show Philip J. Cline introduced a series of
44%
DOWN it has certainly been a very effective tool in the fight against new violence reduction
76%
gangs, guns and drugs.” The department recently looked at strategies aimed at reducing
crime incidents and calls violent crime by
for service in the areas focusing on gang-
INDEX CRIME
POD
AREA
ADJACENT
BEAT - NO POD
immediately adjacent to
the pods, while narcotic-
“
a
... statistics show it has certainly been
very effective tool in the fight against
related violence.
These strategies

”
related calls declined by gangs, guns and drugs. combine the use
DOWN
6% 76%, serious index crime of real-time infor-
DOWN — Deputy, Barbara McDonald
11%
declined by 17% while mation from
non-index, quality of life C h i c a g o ’ s
crimes declined by 46%. Focusing on just narcotic-related advanced crime-fighting technolo-
CRIME gy solution —CLEAR, the introduc-
crime revealed a decrease of 76%. At the same time,
INDEX NON-INDEX
narcotic-related arrests declined 3.3% on beats where pods tion of never before tried
were located but increased 151.7% on the beats immediately innovations like Operation
DOWN
17%
surrounding the pod beats, demonstrating that the DOC was Disruption, and a return to
DOWN
46% able to relocate mobile resources to new areas when gang emphasizing the importance
members tried to shift their territories to outlying allies and of good, old-fashioned street
blocks. intelligence. “Our success is
NARCOTICS ARREST measured by what doesn’t
UP
happen. When an expected

“
151.7%
Operation Disruption gives retaliatory shooting is prevented,
welcome relief to residents
AREA

we’ve done our job,” said Cline. The

POD

BEAT - NO POD
ADJACENT

where gang drug trafficking strategies have also had a positive

DOWN
3.3% and it’s associated violence impact on crime. Homicides,
shootings and overall violent crime
have plagued residents
have declined in Chicago.
for decades.
”
— Mayor, Richard M. Daley Some
violence
of the Department’s
reduction initiatives
include:
What Do Residents Say: Deployment Operations Center
(DOC): The backbone of all the
“Operation Disruption gives welcome relief to residents where gang drug trafficking Department’s efforts, analyzes
and its associated violence have plagued residents for decades,” said Mayor Richard crime incidents in real time and
M. Daley. One local clergyman and business owner said his business has improved makes deployment recommenda-
significantly. Before gang members hanging out in front of his store kept customers tions based on data,
away. A grandmother in another neighborhood said she had lived in the same place intelligence and information from
since her children were babies. She never let her children play outside but now her the community.
grandchildren play in their yard, safe for the first time. When asked whether she
minded being on film, she said, no, I’m not doing anything wrong. The only people Targeted Response Unit: A unit of
who don’t like the camera are the ones who are doing something unlawful. While highly professional and
DOC analysis determines the areas where pods are needed, the community can proactive officers are deployed to
dictate whether pods are installed. To the surprise of many, residents not only high crime areas to conduct
welcome the pods, the department has received hundreds of letters from residents aggressive, visible patrols focusing
and elected officials in other areas of the city to install pods in their communities. on guns, narcotics and stolen
vehicles.
The officers responsible for servicing the pods also have commented that worried
neighbors often approach them to make sure they are not taking the pods down.
A Second Generation (Cont’d)

of Operation Disruption: Area Narcotics Enforcement

Teams: District gang teams work
under the direction of the Area
Deputy Chief within their areas to
Given the success of the pilot program, Mayor Daley announced that beginning
arrest street narcotic dealers.
in September, a new phase of Operation Disruption will be deployed throughout
the city. The number of pods will increase from 30 to 80. The second generation
pods will also be equipped to detect gunfire. Using wireless technology, the units Project Safe Neighborhoods: A
will transmit the gunshot alert, as well as the usual video images, directly to cooperative effort between
monitoring centers at Police Headquarters and at the City’s Emergency federal, state and local law
Management and Communications Center, thereby reducing police response enforcement that seeks stiff, federal
times. The 30 existing pods will be upgraded with the same technology. prison time for felons who are in
possession of firearms and works
Police officials said they continually analyze crime data and other intelligence to with parolees on job training and
determine where the pods should be deployed. They will begin moving the units education so they don’t re-offend.
more frequently to aid officers throughout the city. Like the pilot program, the
cost of the new equipment, $2.8 million, will be footed entirely by drug Operation Double Play: Officers
dealers. arrest the street drug dealers, then
pose as dealers to arrest and seize
Mayor Daley summed it all up,“This new equipment has proven to be a strong the vehicles of customers who
deterrent. Through a combination of good police work, new technology like come into the community to buy
Operation Disruption, and community involvement, we can continue to make drugs.
our children and our
neighborhoods
safer.” Operation Closed Market:
“ None of these strategies would be possible without Two hundred officers
quick and seamless access to crime data.
— Superintendent Phillip Cline ” deployed
perform
that usually
administrative
duties in the midst of open
air drug markets to disrupt,
disturb and dislocate the
people who run open-air drug
markets.

Cage Unit: Traces guns and goes

after offenders who illegally sell
guns to criminals

Main 21 Initiative: Officers work

with representatives from the U.S.
Attorney’s Office; State Attorney’s
Office; Drug Enforcement Agency;
Federal Bureau of Investigation;
U.S. Department of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms; Illinois State
Police; Illinois Department of
Corrections; and the Cook County
Sheriff’s Office. The top 21 gang
leaders are targeted, with empha-
sis being placed on those most
involved with narcotics and
violent activity.

For more information, questions or comments contact: Lieutenant Thomas Lemmer,Acting Director of the Research and
Development Division, Chicago Police Department • 3510 South Michigan Ave • Room 4001 • Chicago, Illinois 60653
312-745-6071 (phone) • 312-745-6932 (fax) • police@cityofchicago.org (email) • www.cityofchicago.org/police (web) • http://167.165.253.9 (intranet)
APRIL 2004