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Chicago police are implementing a new strategy when dealing with criminals. In a one-day program, Superintendent Garry McCarthy is teaching CPD police legitimacy. The idea is based on academic research into effective policing.

From WBEZ:

 Superintendent Garry McCarthy has been pushing it since he came to Chicago. […] “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it,” said McCarthy. “So you can stop somebody but when you explain to them why you stopped them, and when you leave them with a different taste in their mouths rather than saying now, get the hell off the corner, there’s a whole different intention that people take away from that encounter.”

Read more at WBEZ

For example, if you get pulled over and get a ticket from a cop who was really nice, research finds that you could leave that situation feeling positive about police despite getting a ticket. On the flip side, if you do not receive a ticket and the cop is a jerk, your perception of the cops will be negative.

Thoughts on Superintendent McCarthy’s new training program for the Chicago Police Department?

Will it make a difference in how community members perceive police?

Sound off below!