Chicago's first COP House opens in Roseland to boost public safety
Chicago's new Far South Side 'cop house' aims to strengthen community safety
A new approach to public safety is officially opening its doors on Chicago's Far South Side. It's called a "cop house" but it's designed to be much more than a police facility.
ROSELAND - Chicago’s first Community Oriented Policing House is opening in the Roseland neighborhood Friday, bringing law enforcement and community services together at a previously vacant property.
COP House opens in Roseland
The backstory:
The COP House, located at 12020 South Indiana Avenue, was developed by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives as a neighborhood-based public safety and resource center.
The project is backed by 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale and is modeled after Community Oriented Policing Houses in Racine, Wisconsin. Beale has said the goal is to bring police closer to residents while also connecting young people and families with services and opportunities.
The COP House Collaborative includes the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Family Services, Kids Off the Block and the Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce.
Services will include youth mentoring, violence prevention, mental health support, case management, workforce development, entrepreneurship training and family services.
A major focus will be young adults ages 16 to 24, with programs designed to connect participants with education, employment and other opportunities.
Metropolitan Family Services will serve as the lead service provider, while Kids Off the Block will provide mentoring and violence-prevention programming.
The Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce will offer workshops for current and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Dig deeper:
The project began with a $250,000 donation from SC Johnson to Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives. The company has manufacturing and distribution operations in the nearby Pullman neighborhood and has supported the COP House model in Racine.
The Roseland COP House will also serve as a place where police officers can meet with residents, participate in neighborhood meetings and work with community organizations to address local concerns.
The Source: The information in this report came from Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale, Metropolitan Family Services and background information about the Roseland Community Oriented Policing House initiative.