In response to an increase in violent crime during the mid-2000s, the Boston Police Department implemented the Safe Street Teams program.
In response to an increase in violent crime during the mid-2000s, the Boston Police Department implemented the Safe Street Teams program to control "hot spots" that generated a disproportionate amount of violence in Boston through the use of community and problem-oriented policing interventions. Like many police programs, the Safe Street Teams strategy was not implemented with a commitment to conduct a program evaluation. The Smart Policing Initiative provided the Boston Police with an important opportunity to partner with academic researchers to perform retrospective process and impact evaluations. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the concentration and stability of violent crime in targeted places, examine the integrity of program implementation, and conduct a rigorous quasi-experimental analysis of program impacts. These research products established the crime control effectiveness of the Safe Street Teams and assisted the Boston Police in strengthening the implementation of the program. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.