Using one central telephone number, 213-485-2548, community members can:

• Get referrals, telephone numbers, and other brief information
• Leave messages for Senior Lead Officers
• Request services for long-term, ongoing community problems…including those which may need the attention of another City Department such as Building and Safety, Sanitation, Street Maintenance, Transportation, Aging, etc.

If the request falls into the first category, the Problem Solving Unit will make every effort to fulfill the request during that first phone call.

If the request is more complex and requires police attention and/or the attention of another City Department, the Problem Solving Unit will take the appropriate following actions:

• In the case of a request for service that requires only the attention of another City Department, a special request form called a Community Enhancement Request will be sent to that department. If that department does not satisfactorily address the problem, the Problem Solving Unit can provide the community member with contact information where further assistance can be obtained.
• For requests that require police attention, a form created exclusively for this program called a "Problem Solving Request" will be completed and the information will be forwarded to a supervisor for assignment to the appropriate Basic Car Officers or specialized unit (such as one of the detective units). The officers assigned will investigate the problem and work to resolve it.
• Should a request require both police attention and the services of another City Department, the Problem Solving Unit will complete both types of requests and proceed as outlined above.

Once all resources have been exhausted to resolve a problem, the assigned officers will complete a detailed report and submit it to their supervisor for approval. If the supervisor is satisfied and approves the officers' actions, the Problem Solving Request will be signed by the supervisor, reviewed and signed by the Community Relations Office supervisor, and finally by the Northeast Area Captain.

The final step is to follow up with the community member. This will be done by the Problem Solving Unit in the form of a letter to the community member to inform them as to what actions have been taken to resolve the problem. This will also give the community member an opportunity to give input and to advise the Problem Solving Unit of the need for further attention to that problem or to any other community concerns they may have.

You are the most valuable asset we have in learning the needs of the community. We want you to share with us what you think we can do to meet those needs. By working together, we can resolve these long-term problems and build a lasting partnership.

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Contact the Northeast Area Problem Solving Unit at 213-485-2548