This Research Report examines the beginnings of community prosecution in Washington, D.C., through extensive interviews and observations. Community prosecution was implemented as a means of improving relations among Washington, DC citizens, the criminal justice system and local law enforcement. The document describes reforms in the Metropolitan Police Department that affected the work of community prosecutors, characterizes the benefits of the pilot project, and provides case studies of observed results to illustrate how community prosecution contributes to the crime control process in particular neighborhoods.