Captain Roger Bay has been making arrests in tough neighborhoods for almost three decades, but in the last few years he’s come to believe that’s not good enough.
At the same time, the liquor store next door made its sales through a walk-up window. Customers would drink on the sidewalk.
Since he began working as a watch commander in the 11th District five years ago, Bay has been on a mission to immerse himself in the neighborhoods where he’s charged with fighting crime. His goal is to be able to notice the small details that signal trouble, and to work with residents and businesses to change the fabric of the area in ways that busts alone will never do.
That wasn’t the only incident that left Bay thinking that much of the criminal justice system was based on quick fixes. “We need smart sentencing and smart release, but everything is done for expediency,” he concluded. And policing practices were a big part of the problem. Day after day, “we did what we were asked to do, which was chase 911 calls. But did it make a difference?” As the cycle repeated itself, he realized something else had to be done.
When police superintendent Garry McCarthy deployed additional police to the west side last year, Bay set out to send the message that the measure of their effectiveness won’t be how many arrests they make, but whether they’re minimizing the disorder that breeds crime. If that happens, he says, residents and businesses will respond and lasting change can occur.
Jackson says it’s the presence of police—starting with Captain Bay—that’s had the biggest impact. “Does it stop all the drug activity? Absolutely not, because they keep changing,” Jackson says. “But it gives people some security that they’re not going to get caught in the crossfire.”
