This study employed a randomized trial to test the effects of collecting and discussing community-based data to inform police/community practices as guided by community policing principles. Citizens in 51 beats in Chicago were asked to share their views on public safety issues through Internet surveys. Survey results were provided to police and citizens at their CAPS beat meetings for discussion and problem solving, with some beats receiving additional instruction and exercises to guide discussions on survey results. A multi-method approach employed multivariate analyses of questionnaire and observation data and qualitative analysis of data from interviews and observation narratives.

The findings indicate limited improvement of resident perceptions of their abilities and police assessments of their relationship with citizens. While beats in the training condition demonstrated more consistent implementation levels and discussions of survey results with more problem solving components, training and greater implementation were not associated with positive results. Examination of the nature of beat meetings indicates narrowly defined roles for police and citizens in which problem solving rarely occurs and which largely precluded use of survey results in a meaningful fashion. Negative assessments in training beats were likely the consequences of disruptions to the established norms for meetings, as well as a heightened awareness of the deficits of their partnership.

Participants expressed support for using the Internet as a means for communication between police and citizens; police holding traditional policing values regarded citizen completion of surveys interchangeable with attendance at meetings, while those expressing community policing values saw surveys as supplemental to participation in beat meetings. Citizens participated in completing Internet surveys at low rates; the most serious obstacle to participation was their inability to see the benefits of participation because of the nature of interaction at beat meetings.

These findings suggest that problem solving and new modes of interaction can be achieved within the police-community partnership, but requires police organizations to fully commit the necessary training and resources to engage in community policing.