C3 policing



C3 policing ("C3" for "Counter Criminal Continuum"), also known as the Avghani model, is a crime prevention strategy for civilian law enforcement, loosely developed from military counterinsurgency strategies and currently used in the cities of Springfield and Chicopee in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States.

The C3 policing model was created by Michael M. Cutone, a former United States Army Special Forces non-commissioned officer and Massachusetts State Police (MSP) trooper, around 2009. It is centered around community policing, mutual cooperation, and quality of life concerns, to address root issues that cause crime in communities. C3 policing was first used by the MSP, Springfield Police Department (SPD), and Hampden County Sheriff's Department (HCSD) to counter gang and narcotic activities in Springfield's North End section and later other sections of the city. The Chicopee Police Department (CPD) established their own C3 policing units in Chicopee in 2019 and 2023.

Public reaction to C3 policing has generally been positive, and it has been cited as an example for potential police reform initiatives. Crime rate statistics for Springfield since the adoption of C3 policing show general declines in crime since roughly 2010. However, some criticism arose in 2021 surrounding a university course about C3 policing at Harvard University.

History


The C3 policing model was created and developed by Michael M. Cutone, a former United States Army Special Forces senior NCO who served for 25 years across three units. In 2006, Cutone returned from a deployment in Avghani, a region north of Tal Afar, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq during the Iraq War, where his unit successfully used counterinsurgency strategies to defeat insurgents in the area. He then joined the Massachusetts State Police as a trooper, assigned to patrol duties in Springfield.

In October 2009, Cutone determined that the counterinsurgency principles he used in Avghani could potentially prove effective in countering heightening gang activity in the North End section of Springfield, and devised the C3 policing model. After implementing the concept, the initiative received accolades from North End residents and public officials, as well as the support of the MSP Superintendent in 2012. It has since been expanded into the South End, Madison Square, and Forest Park sections.

In 2019, the Chicopee Police Department (CPD) in Springfield's neighboring city of Chicopee formed a C3 policing unit in downtown Chicopee after a notable spike in crime in the area. The unit was temporarily readjusted in 2021 due to staffing issues, but was later restored around January 2023. In April 2023, the CPD established a second C3 policing unit in the Willimansett district to counter violent crime and domestic violence there.

Strategies


The goals of C3 policing are to create a safe and secure environment; promote relationships and cooperation between law enforcement and the community; reduce gang activity and violence; and establish positive youth and parental programs. C3 policing uses cooperation between law enforcement agencies, private businesses, and the public to "detect, disrupt, degrade, and dismantle" criminal activity. These generally consist of monthly community meetings and foot patrols.

Reception
On February 12, 2013 BusinessWest awarded C3 policing The Difference Makers. There are many needs within our society, and therefore many ways that individuals and groups can impact overall quality of life for the people in this region, said BusinessWest Associate Publisher Kate Campiti. And this year’s class of Difference Makers drives this point home." "The individuals who directed the implementation of the C3 Policing program in Springfield’s Brightwood section have succeeded in challenging the culture in that area of the city, she went on. People who were once afraid and apathetic now have a stake in their neighborhood. That’s making a major difference.

Chicopee MA., Frustrated with trash, noise and other nuisance problems, Richard Jones was getting ready to put his home on Exchange Street in Chicopee up for sale – and then the C3 policing unit arrived. “It is incredible. They are gaining everyone’s trust, particularly the homeless, the alcoholics, the drug addicts,” he said. “The people who used to run away from them now talk to them.” Sen.Eric Lesser, (D) Hampden & Hampshire District Ma., “The C3 community policing initiative has been a gold standard for communities around the state and I have been a steadfast supporter of the C3 policing efforts.”

Sen. James Welch, D-West Springfield and state representatives Bud Williams, José Tosado, and Carlos González secured the funding as part of the fiscal year 2020 budget. “You look at a program that delivers results and has shown to be highly effective in several communities here in Springfield and you want to help it succeed,” Welch said. “We are very proud of the progress the C3 initiative is making in the North End and in other areas like the Forest Park neighborhood, and we hope this will be something that extends to all of the neighborhoods in Springfield that need it.” Welch said he is also impressed with the initiative’s reach, which now extends to the area of Chicopee that borders Springfield. “Not a lot of programs are willing to collaborate and share their expertise with surrounding communities,” he said. “This program works and this funding is a way to help it move forward.”

Springfield Police "C3 anti-gang and community policing unit, currently operating in Mason Square, Forest Park, the South End and the North End, won compliments for communication with residents and attentiveness to community concerns. Citizen respondents praised the department's C3 police units - specially trained teams, working in tandem with state police, who both conduct community policing and target gangs and repeat offenders in high-crime neighborhoods. Orland Ramos [Springfield City Council President] suggested in an interview that the city should consider expanding the program.” Springfield Ma., Mayor Dominic Sarno (D), “The C-3 Policing Initiative is truly a grassroots partnership of mutual respect and accountability between our public safety officials, our residents, and our business community. My hat’s off to Commissioner Barbieri and our brave and dedicated men and women in blue and just as important, our community of Springfield coming together as one.” The level of engagement has been very effective to the point that there are days when a resident would have to arrive very early to secure a seat at the meeting, many reaching capacity at the Mason Square Library meeting location. Mason Square C-3 meeting facilitator Tracye Whitfield added, “I love the work that we ‘C-3’ do as a community. There is so much support from the city residents, police, the Mayor’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department and many community organizations. We laugh together, play together; we listen to public issues and explore the challenges and resolves TOGETHER. Residents have expressed openly how they can see the difference with crime being down nearly 20% in Springfield overall. It’s truly amazing what we can accomplish when we are in IT together.”

National news coverage

 * 60 Minutes news coverage of C3 Policing
 * The Hill: "Instead of defunding, Re-imagine policing with C3"

Research
Measured Design, a social design research group, has examined C3 policing and its effectiveness.

Harvard course controversy
In January 2021, students at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences created a petition objecting to a course on C3 policing at that school. The course, "ENG-SCI 298R: Data Fusion in Complex Systems: A Case Study" by Professor Kit Parker, was planned to analyze C3 policing and its effects on Springfield. The petition was signed by around 300 students and alumni, and objected to the lack of focus on structural racism, the George Floyd protests, and police abolition, and demanded the class's cancellation and a full review of Parker's conduct. Criticism was also directed at Parker's ties to C3 policing model creator Michael M. Cutone, as well as his lack of expertise on the subject; The Harvard Crimson noted "he is a cell biology and tissue engineering researcher, [and] does not have a degree in criminal justice, social science, or criminology". Parker objected to the demands, noting that "the primary goal of the course is not an examination of racial bias within the police", denying claims the Springfield Police Department was funding the course, and pointing to academic freedom concerns. After days of student pressure, the school's dean announced the class was cancelled, and committed to reviewing the process of vetting class offerings.